Monday, September 28, 2015

Prosecutors press suspension of Marinduque Gov. Reyes

'Untouchable' Carmencita O. Reyes, 86, held office from 1978 as assemblywoman from 1978 to 1986 (Martial Law era), representative from 1987 to 1998 and 2007 to 2010, governor from 1998 to 2007 and 2010 to present. Photo: Rocky Bryan

Government prosecutors have petitioned the Sandiganbayan to issue an order of suspension against Marinduque provincial governor Carmencita Reyes over the objections of her lawyers.

In a nine-page Rejoinder filed last week, the five-man panel of prosecutors led by Louella Mae Oco Pesquera asked the Sandiganbayan to enforce mandatory suspension as mandated by the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Reyes is facing two counts of graft before the graft court's Second Division in relation to allegations that she misused P5 million allocations to the province under the Farm Input and Farm Implements Program (FIFIP). Both cases were filed back in 2011.

The sum was part of the so-called Fertilizer Fund scam in 2004 wherein some P728 million public funds were reportedly used in the procurement of unnecessary and overpriced liquid fertilizer and farm equipment.

Reyes claimed she had nothing to do with the scam, laying the blame instead on Department of Agriculture-Region 4 officials.

Reyes resisted the prosecution's move to have her suspended, saying the reason for such suspension is not applicable in her case because she is not in a position to intimidate witnesses or to prevent the prosecution from pursuing her case.

She pointed out that none of the witnesses earlier identified by the prosecution is employed by the provincial government.

Reyes also claimed that insisting on her suspension would be equivalent to depriving her constituents of the services of their duly-elected local government official.

In addition, she said her suspension would only serve to prejudice her personally because such an order can be exploited by her political opponents.

The prosecution, however, disagreed, saying the defense is asking the Sandiganbayan to step out of bounds if the court were to make her an exception.

It is argued that the Supreme Court has invariably upheld the suspension of a public official once it has been determined by the court that the defendant has been charged by a valid criminal offense under RA 3019 or any case involving fraud in government funds or properties. - Peter J.G. Tabingo, Malaya

Also read:


Sunday, September 27, 2015

Philippine sea plate flipping?

Image from Dutchsinse

The past 24 hours of activity in the West Pacific shows a clear progression of M5.0+ earthquakes from the far South Pacific to the far North Pacific.

To see this much movement across a whole segment of the planet (from the South pole to the North Pole) is a worrisome sign for me (Dutchsinse) to see.

This means we need to be on watch in the adjacent "silent" areas for larger movement in the next 7 days.

Add in the new deep M5.2 earthquake in the Philippines which struck in the Asthenosphere below the West Pacific Plate at a depth of 520.0 km (323.1 miles).

The deep earthquake will displace the plate above the epicenter, and cause a larger earthquake in a NEARBY area (most likely to the NW of the deep earthquake).

The earthquake forecast for this week covers several of these areas already. These new developments accentuate the areas already being watched.

The amount of energy needed to move the WHOLE Pacific plate from the South Pole to the North Pole is phenomenal, this progression of M5.0+ events should terminate with a larger earthquake in the next few days. - Dutchsinse



Description: EPICENTRAL MAP

The magnitude 5.2 (by USGS), magnitude 5.0 (by Phivolcs), was followed by a magnitude 4.4 tremor near Corcuera, Romblon (see below). Above image from Phivolcs

Date - Time
(Philippine Time)
Latitude
(ºN)
Longitude
(ºE)
Depth
(km)
Mag
Location
09.66126.050093.1008 km N 55° E of Socorro (Surigao Del Norte)
12.75121.930084.4014 km S 72° W of Corcuera (Romblon)
10.26126.850332.8090 km N 73° E of Burgos (Surigao Del Norte)
05.14124.154805.0107 km S 29° W of Kiamba (Sarangani)

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

So, anyare na sa fertilizer scam case ni Carmencita O. Reyes?

A view of the island-province, Marinduque

Believe it or not, two years ago, President Benigno Aquino III brushed aside reports of anomalies under his administration by saying these “scams” pale in comparison with those that occurred under the Arroyo administration.

Ito eksakto ang sinabi niya:

"I-contrast mo ‘yung pinalulusot noong araw versus ‘yung nakalusot ngayon," Aquino told reporters during an ambush interview in Subic.


 
"Compare mo sa fertilizer scam, gaano kalaki ang diperensiya? And yung fertilizer scam is the tip of the iceberg, marami pang iba," he said. Link 

He issued the statement after some lawmakers, even allies, were accused of helping fund alleged bogus groups under businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles using their Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) — or “pork barrel”— allocations. 

Aquino said the PDAF controversy is nothing compared to the P728-million fertilizer fund scam during the time of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. That's the very same fertilizer scam involving Marinduque's governor Carmencita O. Reyes.


Aba po, e malaki nga ang diperensiya dahil kung sa usapin nga ng maanomalyang paggamit ng constitutionally outlawed PDAF at DAP (Disbursement Acceleration Fund), sa DAP pa lamang ay lumobo na nga itong DAP na ito sa P 150-Billion. The P728-million fertilizer scam is nothing compared to that nga naman. 

Ferti scam case ni Carmencita O. Reyes

Sa nasabing fertilizer scam, panay naman ang mga tanong sa social media kung ano na ang nangyari sa criminal cases laban kay Carmencita O. Reyes ng Marinduque.

Ang tinutukoy pala rito ay ang Criminal Case No. SB11CRM0113 entitled "People of the Philippines vs Carmencita O. Reyes, et al.: for illegal use of public funds/Technical Malversation and Criminal Case No. SB11CRM100 laban din sa kaniya/kanila bilang paglabag sa 3(e) of Rep. Act No. 3019.

The first case involves the diversion by the accused of the amount of P5 million from the intended purchase of fertilizer to the purchase of farm equipment.

The second case involves the purchase of said farm equipment na walang public bidding - na kahit sa mga panahong ito at base sa ilang ulat na galing pa sa Sangguniuang Panlalawigan ay ginagawa pa rin sa kasalukuyan iyang no bidding-bidding na iyan. Link

Isinampa way back March 18, 2011 sa Sandiganbayan ang mga kaso vs Reyes et al.

It was only on January 14, 2014 that Reyes was finally arraigned, that's after the lapse of close to three years.

Still the prosecutors did not file any motion for suspension, apparently being biased for whatever reason in favor of Reyes.

A motion to suspend Reyes was finally filed on June 10, 2015 and a hearing of said motion was set on June 25, 2015.

Now, has there been any outcome after the lapse of another 3 months? Nada nothing zich zero!

Alam naman natin, long delay in the proceedings of such criminal cases will certainly prejudice the State since the state witnesses may leave the country, get sick or die and may even be paid not to testify anymore, correct?  

Is it too far-fetched to think that the prosecutors may even be deliberately bungling the prosecution of the two cases so Reyes and other allies could be acquitted?

Nothing at all has been done by the prosecutors to expedite the proceedings in this case. Like getting the depositions of the state witnesses. 

It is strongly doubtful therefore if the judicial affidavits of the state witnesses have ever been prepared. 

By now, after the last couple of years, we are all too familiar already with this kind of legal strategy, right?

And all that - to delay the case, discourage or disable the state witnesses from testifying, then work for acquittal of the accused for the carefully conjured "lack of evidence".

Recalling Aquino again

With the appointment of former Supreme Court Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales as Ombudsman in 2011, Aquino III said during his first SONA that the country would have an “honest-to-goodness anti-corruption office.. not one that condones the corruption and abuses in government”. 

“I expect that this year (2011), we will have filed our first major case against the corrupt and their accomplices. And these will be real cases, with strong evidence and clear testimonies, which will lead to the punishment of the guilty,” sabi ni Aquino, whose presidential campaign in 2010 was anchored on his supposed fight against corruption.

So this case that has dragged the island-province of Marinduque into the limelight is apparently just another showcase of what perks and benefits await those allies in government - if they ever get into trouble with corruption cases "with strong evidence". 

They the corrupt will ever remain "untouchable" kamag-anak, kaibigan, etc. a seemingly distorted kind of legacy for future generations to emulate eh? 

Philippine media has labeled it "selective justice", where the sons or daughters of the arrogantly and notoriously corrupt are so free, the people's money to squander and their official positions to abuse and misuse ad infinitum eh?

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Marinduque tremors could have really triggered Bohol quakes after all. Scientists discover that seismic pressure transfers up to 1,000 km!

Marinduquenos will probably still recall that two days before a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Bohol and Central Visayas on Oct. 15, 2013, an earthquake swarm took place in Boac,Marinduque epicentered offshore northwest of the island. The said earthquake swarm meant a stunning 25 tremors in a matter of 8 days with 19 of them occuring in 3 days and 15 occuring within 12 hours.

Two days later came the devastating  7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Bohol and Cebu. 


Intrigued by the possibility that the Marinduque earthquake swarms could have triggered the Bohol tremors, I threw the question then via email to the dedicated administrator of Earthquake-Report, Armand Vervaeck (Belgium). He responded in part as follows:
"Nobody will be able to tell you as science isn't able to make prognoses in strength and time. Swarms are not unusual and 98/100 nothing important happens thereafter. In some cases (like in l'Aquila Italy) swarms are precursors of something bigger to come. So I don't think that something will happen BUT we are not really sure about this :))
"Taken into account the location of the Marinduque quakes, they could also have been the trigger to free the Bohol energy BUT nobody will be able to prove that."
But now comes a discovery made by Italian scientists that seismic pressure transfers up to 1,000 km - causing other earthquakes! Read the story below.

Note that the distance between Marinduque and Bohol is 458.85 km, well within the stated distance. 


Distance between Marinduque and Bohol is 468.85 km. This distance is equal to 291.33 miles, and 252.99 nautical miles.

How earthquakes can trigger copycat quakes 1000 kilometres away
New Scientist, 21 September 2015
“Seismic waves unleashed during Wednesday’s magnitude 8.3 earthquake in Chile could have triggered aftershocks as far as 1000 kilometres away.
That’s because they can shake up grains of rock wedged inside distant faults. According to computer models, even weak waves at the right frequency could be enough to start a new quake by vibrating that grist into a more slippery, liquid-like layer.
Earthquakes often happen when two tectonic plates that have been pressed together suddenly slip. But we’ve seen that major earthquakes like 1992’s Landers earthquake in California can also send out waves that spark copycat quakes 1000 kilometres away, even though the waves get weaker as they travel.
The mysterious remote triggering of quakes may have also played a role in events in Chile in 2014, and Japan in 2011.
“We were wondering: how could it happen that a very tiny wave with a very small amplitude could trigger earthquakes a thousand kilometres away?” says Lucilla de Arcangelis of the Second University of Naples in Italy.
One idea is that sound waves can lather up the grains between the two plates in a way that decreases friction, to make a slip easier. Now a team including de Arcangelis has built a computer model that shows the process as it happens.
They found that seismic waves could trigger an earthquake in the simulated fault only if they came in a narrow range of frequencies. If the fault was just about to slip, it would hasten the process by starting vibrations in that range. Only the frequency really mattered – weak waves, or even waves that would actually push in the direction against a slip, could still induce an earthquake.
“Each fault will have its own acoustic resonance frequency,” de Arcangelis says. “If a signal arrives at this frequency, the fault that without perturbation would be quiet will trigger an earthquake.”
Combined with a 2005 lab experiment that also showed a resonant frequency could jiggle glass beads in a fake fault into slipping, this simulation could suggest that actual faults have specific frequencies they’re susceptible to.

Monday, September 21, 2015

Looking to the skies for that "turning point in history"

“The sun shall turn to darkness, and the moon to blood, prior to the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.” (Joel 3:4)

Blood Moon experts are predicting major “turning points in history” when on September 28th, the fourth and final blood moon in the current tetrad series will take place during the commencement of the Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) holiday.
This will be the fourth time in two years that a blood moon will occur on the Jewish holiday of either Tabernacles or Passover. The significance of the event has many Jews and Christians looking to the skies and gearing up for a major event that will affect the course of both Jewish and world history.
In the past millennia, only four documented tetrads have occurred on or around the Jewish holidays of Passover and Sukkot, and each one was followed by a major event that shifted Jewish and global history. Those tetrads occurred in the years 1428-1429, 1493-1494, 1949-1950, 1967-1968, and now, in 2014-2015.
Bob O’Dell and Gidon Ariel, founders of Root Source, an educational program in which Orthodox Israeli Jews teach Christians about the Bible and Judaism from a Jewish perspective, spoke to Breaking Israel News about the significance of this event.
Both O’Dell and Ariel believe that the importance of heavenly signs should not be ignored, and that some change is to be expected in the coming year, which just so happens to be a Jubilee year.
“We are not at all predicting the end of the world or the arrival of the Messiah in September,” said O’Dell. However, “If you look at all the blood moons that have occurred in history, you see that every time they arrive, they mark turning points in history – major new trends involving the Jewish people.” O’Dell added the disclaimer that these trends often take many years to play out. - BreakingIsraelNews

Turmoil brewing in the Philippines?

The DAP scandal, the'puppet master', the LA Times report on Mamasapano, the $700-M scandal in Malaysia for "passage of the proposed BBL", and the role of the Satanic Smartmatic
Supercell clouds


Shouting match at the Palace, a warning from the generals


Malacañang sources have revealed that a nasty shouting match transpired between President B.S. Aquino 3rd and Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad after the Supreme Court ordered the Ombudsman to have them investigated and possibly charged for their role in the manipulation and misuse of the constitutionally outlawed Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) amounting to P150 billion.
It is not known who got the upper hand, but PNoy reportedly blamed Abad for the DAP scandal, and Abad reportedly shot back by reminding PNoy that the program had the President’s full approval and that it was used to bribe Congress in order to remove Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona and implement the rest of his “personal program.”
This reveals two things. First, PNoy is now under investigation by the Ombudsman for possible impeachment, and he is pissed off by it, despite the fact that he remains in virtual control of the impeachment process and has less than a year to stay in office. By tradition, although not specified in the Constitution, the President is immune from suit; but the Supreme Court effectively divested him of his immunity when it struck down the DAP as unconstitutional and ordered the prosecution of all those involved in it. He is the official author of the DAP. Still, PNoy obviously did not expect to be investigated by the very Ombudsman he had appointed after driving her predecessor out of office, in order to go after his enemies and political targets. He apparently blames Abad for this.
Second, the “fear” Aquino has instilled in his Cabinet members appears to have worn off. Abad’s heated exchange with Aquino shows this. It is a dangerous precedent that could be imitated by other members of the original Hyatt-10, said to be the real power running the Aquino government under Abad. This is the same group, with some minor modifications, which President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ousted from her Cabinet while threatening to oust her.
Not only is Abad the “brains” of Aquino’s ingenious schemes to take full control of the government’s resources; his entire family is virtually in charge of the entire financial and budgetary operations of the government. While he controls the entire Department of Budget and Management (DBM), his only daughter runs the Presidential Management Staff, his only son holds a pivotal position in the Office of the Secretary of Finance; and his wife is not only Executive Vice President of the Liberal Party but also senior Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
In the relationship between Aquino and Abad, the latter is seen as the puppet master, and the former the puppet. Although it has not happened before that the puppet masters had to answer to the puppet, it is happening now, so the relationship is strained, to say the least. It could strain further as more serious cases are brought before the Supreme Court against the Aquino government’s undiminished effort to put vast sums of money under the sole discretion and control of the President. One probable suit could be against the P424.15 billion in lump-sum appropriations embedded in nine strategic departments and two agencies of the government in the 2015 General Appropriations Act, in contemptuous disregard of the Supreme Court ruling declaring such lump sums unconstitutional and void.
The worst is yet to come.
The generals speak out
But it is not only the Cabinet that’s on fire. The military, police and entire security sector is equally on fire. And Aquino’s recent reckless statement about an “alternative truth” on the Mamasapano massacre, which cost the lives of 44 Special Action Force police commandos on Jan. 25, 2015 in the hands of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, has unduly stoked that fire. PNoy’s statement has prompted a closer look at what the various official inquiries had said and did not say about the massacre. It is now clear to all and sundry —-infinitely clearer than before— that the truth about the most important issues on Mamasapano was never aired. Why did Aquino discard the established PNP chain of command, and put an important police operations in the hands of a suspended PNP chief? Why did PNoy give the stand-down order which barred the military reinforcement unit from giving support to the beleaguered SAF contingent at the most critical time?
What the public heard on these questions was either a Sphinx-like silence or an elephantine lie. Now, if Aquino really wants to set the record straight, he has to tell us the “untold and unvarnished truth,” rather than an “alternative” one; otherwise, what he really needs is an “alternative lie” to replace the existing one. The search for the real truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth has now been complicated by the latest press reports from abroad on certain details of the Mamasapano affair, which the government had until now suppressed.
A report in the Sept. 16, 2015 issue of the Los Angeles Times, and reprinted on this paper on Sept. 18, 2015, says that “five or six US counter-terrorism advisors assisted (the SAF commandos) from a police command post nearby, tracking the assault team in live video from a US surveillance aircraft circling overhead. Their main role was to provide tactical, live intelligence.” At no point during the inquiries were we ever told that the US government was involved in Operation Exodus; in fact, the US Embassy repeatedly denied any US involvement, even without anyone suggesting it. In light of the LA Times story, the government has a duty to bare all the facts about the US involvement.
Aquino has tried to minimize the public distress over Mamasapano by trying to steamroll the passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, arising from the highly questionable Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), which seeks to replace the present Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) for the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) with a new autonomous political entity for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Although fraught with constitutional infirmities, Aquino wanted the proposed BBL rushed to satisfy the desire of Malaysia and other foreign entities.
It took Sen. Ferdinand (Bongbong) Marcos Jr. and a wide array of concerned Filipinos to stop the proposed law from being bulldozed through Congress. But PNoy’s zeal is undiminished. He wants the widely opposed bill passed before he leaves office. Stories have since circulated in the Malaysian political circuit that some $700 million had been coursed through the Malaysian Prime Minister’s office to facilitate the passage of the proposed BBL. It could be pure spin, but it is repeated on both sides of the Sulu Sea with relish, showing what the CAB/FAB/BBL means to interested parties. But if Aquino is determined to press its passage, an important segment of the military has warned him not to force it.
In a full-page ad in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Sept. 14, 2015, 31 retired senior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, the Philippine Coast Guard, the Bureau of Fire Protection, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, reservists and veterans expressed “great apprehension and alarm” over the FAB and the CAB, and strong opposition to the passage of the proposed BBL, in its original form, “even as it now undergoes congressional scrutiny.”
Among the signatories were former Secretary of National Defense and AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Renato de Villla, former AFP Chiefs of Staff Gen. Generoso S. Senga, Gen. Alexander Yano, Gen. Efren Abu, Gen. Dionisio Santiago, former Vice of Staff Lt. Gen. Alfredo Filler, Lt. Gen. Edilberto Adan, chairman and president of the Association of General and Flag Officers (AGPO), Lt. Gen. Raul S. Urgello, chairman and president, KAMPILAN, Inc., Maj. Gen. Jose Magno, former Commander, CENCOM and SOUTHCOM, Rear Admiral Tagumpay Jardiniano, former Flag Officer in Command, Phillipine Navy, Brig. Gen. Danilo D. Lim, RAM Foundation, Inc. They had never signed any similar declaration on any issue before.
Saying that “the implementation of these crafty agreements is an express trip to the dismemberment of the country’s territory and the creation of a Moro state in Mindanao,” and the “renewal of organized violence and horrendous destruction of life and property,” they expressed “unsullied support” for the SC petition filed by PHILCONSA president Congressman Martin Romualdez, Archbishops Ramon Arguelles of Lipa, Romulo de la Cruz of Zamboanga, Archbishop Emeritus Fernando Capalla of Davao, former national security adviser Norberto Gonzales, and this writer, asking the High Court to declare the FAB and the CAB unconstitutional and void.
The manifesto caught PNoy completely by surprise. He reportedly complained that the generals and flag officers could have talked to him first, or to the junior officers who, according to him, were fully supportive of the FAB, the CAB, and the BBL. But the signatories saw no need to talk to Aquino first because, according to them, he “never listens;” as far as the talking to the junior officers is concerned, the retired generals and flag officers are in constant touch with them, and Aquino was being delusional when he said they were in favor of any law that would balkanize Mindanao.
PNoy instructed Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin to dialog with the signatories and verify if they had indeed signed the manifesto and why. But only a few managed to show up for the proposed dialogue with Gazmin, whose reputation appears to have suffered within the military and defense establishment because of unconfirmed yet unrefuted allegations about infected defense contracts related to the AFP modernization program.
Beyond the FAB/CAB/BBL, it is safe to assume that the security sector has developed a clear position on some election-related issues, such as the ongoing effort of the Commission on Elections to install the Venezuelan firm Smartmatic once again at the heart of the 2016 elections, and the determined effort of the oligarchy—-with tacit support from Malacañang— to impose a non-Filipino presidential candidate on the Filipino voters, in contemptuous disregard of the Constitution. I would not suggest that the security sector is prepared, as it was in 1986, to take direct political action against the administration, but it is as clear as daylight that as the constitutional protector of the people and the State, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will not allow itself to be used by the Aquino administration or the oligarchy for its own ends.
It could on the other hand support popular action by the people fighting for their rights and liberties against a malevolent regime. This is what many seem to be praying for. - Francisco S. Tatad, The Manila Times

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Marinduque's MACEC continues to demand environmental justice

MACEC in Anti-Mining Solidarity Action

The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP) is currently holding International Mining Conference held at Solaire Resort & Casino Manila to boost the mining industry.

Parallel to this, the Alyansa Tigil-Mina (ATM) is conducting a mining solidarity hell week, a one week long anti-mining campaign along with their partner and member organizations in the Philippines including Marinduque's MACEC.

MACEC is currently doing a series of anti-mining solidarity actions to demand justice for the environment and for the people affected by the irresponsible mining in Marinduque. We also demand to declare the entire province of Marinduque as a “no go zone” for mining for both large and small scale mining without any exemption, to completely ban mining in the island. 
- Marinduque Council for Environmental Concerns (MACEC)

Friday, September 18, 2015

No dengue outbreak in Marinduque -- DoH 4-B

"...dengue cases increased last Saturday from five last Friday to 30 on Monday, but there is no outbreak"- DoH
Buenavista landscape.
THE Department of Health-Mimaropa (Oriental/Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) yesterday assured the public that there is no dengue outbreak in any of the municipalities of Marinduque.
     
In an interview, Dr. Eduardo Janairo said dengue cases increased last Saturday from five last Friday to 30 on Monday, but there is no outbreak.
     
“There were reported new cases in the towns of Torrijos, Gasan, Bue-navista and Boac but the new cases do not constitute an outbreak. Not even a single hotspot has been identified,” Janairo told People’s Tonight.
     
Janairo explained that not all of the 30 reported new cases have been confirmed as dengue cases. Some of them were already sent home. He attributed the increase to the cycle and the rainy season.
     
“Maulan kasi ngayon kaya medyo nag-increase ang cases. But I repeat, walang outbreak,” the DOH official said.
     
Janairo also pointed out that declaration of disease outbreaks should come from the DOH national or the regional office, adding that there are cases of local government officials declaring an outbreak in order to collect calamity funds for their locality.
     
The regional director, however, assured that he already ordered a visit to all hospitals in Lucena, Quezon and in Manila to check if there are dengue patients from Marinduque.
 
Buenavista Mayor Russel Madrigal appealed for help and more blood donations due to a dengue patients in the town, but did not give a number of cases.

Madrigal also talked with Philippine Red Cross Chairman Richard Gordon via phone patch. Gordon pledged for blood donation which will be coming from PRC-Batangas chapter.
    
Gordon said they are already monitoring the situation in Buenavista, Marinduque and reminded Madrigal to take preventive measures against dengue.
     
Last month’s records showed Marinduque had 38 reported dengue cases -- Gasan with 15, Boac (15) and Buenavista (7). - Journal

Barrick's in trouble again... over cyanide spill

Cyanide spill in Argentine Andean mine triggers strong protests from local residents. 

Residents of a town in the Argentine northwestern province of San Juan took to the streets in protest after an industrial malfunction caused a pipe carrying potentially lethal cyanide to the nearby Veladero gold mine to fracture and spill an amount of its contents in the area on Sunday. The news reached national level on Monday.


Criminal complaint filed against Barrick over cyanide spill in Argentina


Prosecutors in the western Argentine province of San Juan have filed a criminal complaint over a cyanide spill at a gold mine operated by Canadian mining giant Barrick Gold, while hundreds of local residents demanded Wednesday that authorities halt work at the deposit.

"We want all investigative measures taken to determine if there's a crime ... and if there's criminal liability," provincial prosecutor Guillermo de Sanctis told EFE, referring to the complaint filed Tuesday with a provincial court.

Barrick Gold said in a statement that the spill occurred Sunday when a pipe carrying cyanide suffered a valve failure at its Veladero gold mine, although it insisted the leak did not contaminate local water supplies.
The San Juan provincial government recommended that the inhabitants of three towns located near Veladero "avoid and/or reduce their consumption of water from the Blanco River" as a precautionary measure until tests results are known.

That official notification came just hours after the president of the San Juan Mining Chamber assured local residents that the spill posed no threat to the local population.

Around 1,000 people protested Wednesday in Jachal, the town closest to the mine, to call for the shuttering of the mine and the resignation of the provincial mining minister, among other demands.

"After saying that everything was fine and under control, they prohibit three towns from drinking water. Imagine the uncertainty that's out there," Domingo Jofre, a community leader in Jachal, told EFE. - FoxNews Latino

Kauswagan mayor loses post over citizenship issue


A PERSON who became a US citizen, renounced it and re-acquired Filipino citizenship, then took an oath of allegiance but used the American passport several times cannot run for public office, the Supreme Court said.

In a 21-page decision penned by Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo, the high court dismissed the petition filed by Rommel C. Arnado and affirmed the Commission on Elections (Comelec) ruling disqualifying him to sit as mayor of Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte.

Arnado is a natural-born Filipino citizen who became an American citizen as a consequence of his naturalization.  He relinquished his American citizenship and on July 10, 2008 he took his oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines. Then, on April 3, 2009 he executed an affidavit of renunciation of his foreign citizenship.

That same year, Arnado filed his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) to run for mayor of Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte for the 2010 polls. A petition was filed to disqualify him saying he is still a US citizen due to his continued use of his US passport.

The Comelec First Division disqualified Arnado but its en banc reversed the ruling saying his use of his US passport did not operate to revert his status to dual citizenship. While the case was pending, the filing of COCs has started for the 2013 elections. Arnado again filed his COC for the same position.

Eventually, in 2013, the high court reversed the Comelec en banc’s ruling.
Then, a disqualification case was again filed against Arnado citing the high court’s 2013 ruling that disqualified him for the 2010 post.

Then, Arnado was proclaimed winner in the 2013 polls.

The Comelec second division disqualified Arnado, citing his failure to comply with the requirements under Republic Act No. 9225 otherwise known as the Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act of 2003 of making personal and sworn renunciation of any and all foreign citizenship.

Comelec said while he executed an Affidavit of Renunciation in 2009, it is deemed withdrawn after he used his US passport to travel abroad. Arnado appealed the ruling to the Comelec en banc, which only affirmed the decision of the Comelec’s 2nd division.

Arnado then went to the high court which upheld the Comelec’s ruling.

The high court, in its recent ruling, said Arnado failed to correct the faults in the re-acquisition of his Filipino citizenship that became the basis for his disqualification in the 2010 elections.

“Only natural-born Filipinos who owe total and undivided allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines could run for and hold elective public office,” the high court said.

“The Court ruled that the use of a foreign passport after renouncing one’s foreign citizenship is a positive and voluntary act of representation as to one’s nationality and citizenship, it does not divest one of the reacquired Filipino citizenship but recants the Oath of Renunciation required to qualify one to run for an elective position,” the high court said. - Tetch Torres-Tupas, Inquirer