Cong. Tarzan Lazatin wants boarding houses safe

Representative Carmelo Lazatin (first district, Pampanga) said Saturday that he is batting for an ordinance that would address the problem on security of boarding houses and apartments in this city.

Lazatin’s statement came as , a member of Holy Angel University’s Taekwondo team, here was stabbed to death by a lone suspect at her apartment in Barangay Santo Cristo recently.

Conde sustained stab wounds on her right upper chest leading to her death.

Lazatin, through his political officer Irish Calaguas, said the safety of boarding houses should be a community effort.

Calaguas said that the safety of boarding houses could start from putting grills on windows of boarding houses and implementing safety regulations and house rules.

It was found out that there is no effective coordination and monitoring of boarding houses or city ordinance mandating strict parameters to keep boarding houses safe.

She added that the recent killings should prompt local officials to do more in keeping boarding houses safe.

In 2009, Keith Valerio Ballesteros, 16, a former nursing student of Angeles University Foundation, was also stabbed to death in her boarding house in Barangay Salapungan also in this city. The suspects are still at large.

by: Ian Ocampo Flora

7 Angeles officials face graft raps

Seven city officials are facing graft charges before the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the alleged anomalous procurement of laptops and cellular phones.

The officials include Vice Mayor Vicky Vega Cabigting, General Services Officer Menandro G. Dizon, Administrator Dennis Albert S. Pamintuan, and Councilors Jericho G. Aguas, Jesus S. Sangil, Alexander P. Indiongco, and Edgardo D. Pamintuan Jr.

Claro M. Recto chairman Valentino Lagman, broadcaster Medardo David, and lawyer Francisco Ramos Buan Jr. filed the complaint against the city officials on Tuesday.

In their joint complaint-affidavit, the complainants claimed that seven city officials connived with vendors of a cellphone shop to effect ghost purchases of four units of laptops in August 2011.

“This has caused damage, prejudice and undue injury to the government in the amount of P120,000 by making it appear that the gadgets were inspected, received and transferred to the custody of Councilors Aguas, Sangil, Indiongco and Pamintuan,” the complaint-affidavit stated.

The complainants alleged that “no such purchases were made and worse, no actual deliveries.”

The officials allegedly violated several laws including Republic Act 3019 - Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Republic Act 9184 - Government Procurement Reform Act, Republic Act 6713 - Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards of Public Officials and Employees, and Section 52 of Civil Service Commission (CSC) Resolution 99-1936, dated August 31, 1999, otherwise known as the “Uniform Rules in Administrative Cases in the Civil Service, for Serious Dishonesty and Grave Misconduct.

Cabigting refused to issue any comment regarding the issue, saying she did not receive the formal complaint yet.

Cabigting said she will consult her counsels for her counter-affidavit and reply to the complaint.

Dennis Pamintuan also declined to issue any statement on the complaint.

by: Reynaldo Navales

UNA express support for Team Lazatin

The United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) expresses support for local candidates and for the Team Lazatin of mayoralty candidate Representative Carmelo Lazatin (1st district, Pampanga).

Lazatin is running for mayor against incumbent Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan.

Appearing in the UNA rally were vice mayoralty candidate Mark Allen Sison, Councilor Brian Nepomuceno, Carmelo Lazatin Jr., newsman Maximo Sangil, and lawyer Nino Enriquez.

The Lazatins, Sangil, and Enriquez will run under the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) party while Nepomuceno will retain his original party, the Nationalists People's Coalition (NPC). Nepomuceno is a guest candidate under the Team Lazatin.

Former Angeles City Mayor and congressional candidate Francis Nepomuceno also opened the UNA program on behalf of Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Senatorial candidate Nancy Binay said she is confident of the abilities and qualifications of the Team Lazatin and especially of UNA's vice mayoralty candidate here in the person of former Angeles City administrator Sison.

Binay also publicly thanked the show of support of Team Lazatin in the short sortie of the group in Angeles City adding that they will always have the support of UNA.

Lazatin thanked UNA for its support adding that they will strive to ensure elections here would be peaceful and orderly.

by Ian Ocampo Flora

Mayor 'orders' arrest of flyers distributor thru text

Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan has allegedly ordered the arrest of 10 individuals distributing flyers of a joint affidavit of village officials hitting the mayor for the job order employees issue here.

Pamintuan denied, however, such move, saying the camp of his rival, Representative Carmelo Lazatin, is becoming so desperate that it is resorting to all sorts of tactics to boost their “sagging image.”

Reports said that Pamintuan’s directive came in a form of a text message and was intercepted by Lazatin’s supporters.

"Marlon, nung makapag-mobilize kayung pareng Jessie tao na mag-monitor Santo Rosario Church ampo Balibago Church bukas maranun ampo palengke San Nicolas ampo Pampang, para mandakap at mangompiskang manyalbag at magdistribute black propagand. Tinext kuna la naman reng advance security na mag-obra pisamban bukas. Thank you. Cc: Jessie, Ato, John, Boy, Barok, Amro, Art. All market guards, traffic enforcers and task force must be on full alert (Marlon, if you and Jessie can mobilize personnel to monitor Santo Rosario Church, Balibago Church, San Nicolas Market, and Pampang Market tomorrow morning to arrest individuals distributing black propaganda and confiscate propaganda materials. Thank you. I also texted the advance security stationed at the church tomorrow. Cc: Jessie, Ato, John, Boy, Barok, Amro, Art. All market guards, traffic enforcers and task force must be on full alert)," the text read.

Barangay Lourdes Northwest councilman William David said the text came from Pamintuan's mobile number, 09178112642.

The text message circulated on the evening of February 2 and found its way into the phone of one of David's friends at the Pampang Public Market.

"Yesterday morning (February 3), all market guards were in full alert and stationed at Santo Rosario Church. How can they say that Mayor Pamintuan did not issue an order?" David said, adding: "Mayor Pamintuan is lying through his teeth in his denial."

Around midday of February 3, reports regarding the arrest of 10 individuals distributing flyers along Barangay Balibago, two of whom are minors, surfaced.

According to David, the “Marlon” in the text message refers to Marlon Enriquez, head of San Nicolas Public Market; “Jessie” refers to Jessie Eres, director of Angeles City Entertainment Promotion Office (ACEPO); “Barok” refers to Jaime Dizon, part of Pamintuan's close security detail; “Amro” refers to Amro Razul, head of the Angeles City Night Market; and “Art” refers to Art Non, head of Pampang Public Market.

But Mayor Pamintuan said he did not order the arrest of distributors of “black propaganda” materials.

City Administrator Dennis Albert Pamintuan said: "I checked with him (Mayor Pamintuan), and he said he does not recall ever sending a text message to that effect."

"Kagawad David is a rabid Lazatin supporter and along with a few others, they have been trying to draw attention in favor of their sponsor by coming out with all sorts of allegations," the city administration added.

"They have been seeing ghosts, and must be hearing voices," he also said.

The administrator said Lazatin has actually manufactured and distributed black propaganda materials the moment he announced his intention to run for mayor against incumbent Mayor Pamintuan, recalling flyers and stickers with illustrations of the likeness of the mayor trashed in a trash can that were distributed and posted as early as July last year.

"At the very beginning they have conducted their campaign at very low levels, resorting immediately to black propaganda and smear campaign, and they are still at it until now, which is an indication that they have nothing good to say to the people about how Lazatin would run city hall," he added.

Several supporters of Lazatin were arrested and charged by the police over the weekend for distributing black propaganda flyers against Mayor Pamintuan even in churches as masses were being held.

Those arrested later claimed they were "physically harassed and threatened" allegedly by men of Jesse Eres, who immediately denied the allegations.

"We call on Congressman Lazatin not to entrust his campaign to low-life characters who only know low-life tactics. We call on him to go out and woo the voters with positive messages, like what Mayor Pamintuan is doing, and not to resort to black propaganda and simply paying off people," the city administrator said.

by Reynaldo Navales

Job order employees to file affidavit before Ombudsman

Three residents here, who are connected with local barangay officials, are set to submit on December 18 their affidavit to the Office of the Ombudsman denying knowledge about the inclusion of their names in the payroll as job order appointments of the City Government under the administration of Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan.

Marlene Coronel, wife of Salapungan village councilman Renato Coronel; Josephine Bondoc, wife of Capaya village councilman Rafael Bondoc, and Robert Miranda, friend of Santo Domingo village councilman Oliver Chaneco all signed their affidavits declaring that they did not know that their names have been included in the list of the city’s job order employees.

The affidavits will be submitted as supplements to the complaint submitted by local mediaman Robledo Sanchez to the Ombudsman on October 19, 2012 charging Mayor Pamintuan, City Accountant Wilfredo Tiotuico, City Budget Officer Fe Corpuz, City Treasurer Juliet Quinsaat and the different respective department heads with graft and corruption over the 2,506 job order employees employed by the Pamintuan administration.

Coronel, Bondoc and Miranda are all listed as administrative assistants under the Philhealth program of the Office of the Mayor, hired for the period of July 1 to December 30, 2012, and are supposedly receiving a salary rate of P500 a day.

All three of them deny any participation in the said Philhealth Program and said that they are neither working for nor receiving salary from the City Government.

According to Coronel, Bondoc and Miranda, they decided to submit their affidavit after discovering, through a local radio program, that their names have been included in the said list of job order employees without their knowledge.

Earlier, Lourdes village councilman William David also denied knowing about the inclusion of his wife’s name, Irene David, in the list of job order employees.

This is also the case for Cutcut village councilman Roy Ogurida who denied any knowledge about his sister’s name, Joan Lozano, being included in the said list.

David and Ogurida, previously, both appeared in a local radio station to air their grievances.

by: Reynaldo Navales

City gov’t spends P20M a month on JOs

The City Government is spending P20 million every month for the salaries of job order employees, according to veteran newsman Robledo Sanchez.

Sanchez, in his complaint sheet filed before the Office of the Ombudsman against Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan and other city officials, stated that some of the job-order employees occupy the same position within a department or a program, usually as administrative assistants or administrative aides paid in different rates as high as P25,000 a month.

Sanchez revealed that the City Government’s Solid Waste Management Program has the biggest number of job-order employees with 183, followed by the Traffic Management Program with 137 employees.

He said the Tourism Promotion and Development Program’s 62 job-order employees receive daily rates ranging from P600 to P650.

On October 19, 2012, Sanchez filed graft and corruption charges against Pamintuan, City Accountant Wilfredo Tiotuico, City Budget Officer Fe Corpuz, City Treasurer Juliet Quinsaat and the different respective Department Heads in connection with the 2,506 job order employees under the Pamintuan administration.

Sanchez obtained documents including appointment papers of job order employees signed by Pamintuan, his secretary Kirk Galanza and City Administrator Dennis Albert Pamintuan.

Sanchez said Pamintuan and his cohorts violated Republic Act (RA) 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and RA 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards of Public Officials and Employees.

Sanchez also noted that the appointment of these job order employees are in violation of Civil Service Commission (CSC) Memorandum Circular No. 17 Series of 2002, dated June 24, 2002, which states that contracts for job-order employees should be submitted to the CSC Regional Office (CSCRO) to be reviewed on whether the said contracts are complying with CSC guidelines.

by: Reynaldo Navales

Ala yang panyambut (he has no chances of winning)

Ala yang panyambut (he has no chances of winning),”
Angeles City mayoralty candidate Carmelo Lazatin said when asked about his chances against Mayor Ed Pamintuan in the 2013 polls.

Lazatin said he has the support of the business sector, 75 percent of the City Hall employees, transport groups, senior citizens, youth, and the members of the grassroots level.

But Alexander Cauguiran, president of the Partido Abe Kapampangan, was quick to say that was fed with wrong information by his political lieutenants.

Cauguiran said from all indications, the growing sentiments among Angeleños especially youth, intellectual voters, sectors including the women, urban poor, market vendors, transport groups, and professionals is to support Pamintuan who proved his advocacy on health, education, environment, and peace and order.

“The administration of Mayor Ed Pamintuan has brought back prestige to Angeles City. After 12 long years, Angeles City is again recognized as among the top cities of the country. The last time this happened was also during the first 2 terms of Mayor Pamintuan from 1992 to 1995 and 1995 to 1998,” Kapisanan ng mga kababaihan para sa Kaunlaran ng Angeles (KKKA) member Teresita Arcina said.

“When Congressman Lazatin first ran for mayor of Angeles City, he promised the Pampang market vendors that he will not raise the payment for our stalls and permits, and for the nine years that he served as mayor, he kept his promise,” Angeles City Pampang Public Market Vendors Association (ACPPMVA) chairwoman Tess Maniacup said.

“We wholeheartedly support Congressman Lazatin’s candidacy and we are very proud of him because he is someone who knows how to fulfill his promises,” said Maniacup.

According to Cauguiran, youth groups also joined the bandwagon for Pamintuan, stating that the education programs of the incumbent mayor must be continued and sustained as these benefits the students and their parents.

"The establishment of the City College of Angeles is one of the priorities of Mayor Pamintuan. It is a promise fulfilled. Lazatin could not possibly implement the same because it is against the business interest of his family who owns a tertiary school in the city,” Cauguiran said.

He added that the youth and students are now aware that it was Mayor Pamintuan who first implemented the city's scholarship program which is now given more budget to accommodate more deserving students.

Lazatin, for his part, promised that he will not raise business and real property taxes if he is given a chance to serve as mayor again.

“Kung ano ang babayaran ng mga negosyante ng January 2013, ganon lang ang babayaran nila habang ako ang nakaupo na Mayor,” Lazatin promised.
The Partido Abe Kapampangan, meanwhile, dared Lazatin to show proof of his "fitness to run for mayor."

"We are not yet questioning Lazatin's winnability although we doubt very much if he truly has the support of the different sectors as indicated in his press release,” said Partido Abe Kapampangan Deputy Secretary General William Aguilar.

“But instead of bragging about his chances of winning, we challenge Lazatin to prove first that he is fit enough to withstand the rigors of next year's electoral campaign. After that, we shall ask him to present a comprehensive program of government to the people, if he has any,” Aguilar added.

by: Reynaldo G. Navales