4 NEWS
VOL. 6 ISSUE 234 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2014
Yu defeats ‘Boy Ponsa’ in Brgy. Garcia protest By EMILORD P. CASTROMAYOR
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epc@edgedavao.net
HE Davao City Municipal Trial Court in Cities Branch 5 yesterday declared Arturo “Nean” V. Yu the winner over Rolando Cagay alias Boy Ponsa for punong barangay of Leon Garcia Sr. Daydews D. VIllamor, presiding judge of the MTCC 5, in a 16-page decision dated last February 3, directed the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Davao City to proclaim Yu as the duly elected punong barangay. Villamor said that in his
31 years serving as judge this was the first time an election protest filed in his sala had the protestant coming out the winner over the protestee. Based on the contested and uncontested clustered precincts results last December 19, 2013, Yu garnered 2,664 votes, 58 votes more than Cagay’s 2,606. Last October 28, Comelec–Davao City declared Cagay the winner having garnered 2,606 votes against Yu’s 2,602.
FYU, 10
34 of 104 impounded P260-M ‘white elephant’ motorcycles returned TAX DELINQUENTS. Vice Mayor Paolo Z. Duterte berates employees and officials of the City Treasurer’s Office (CTO) in his privilege speech during yesterday’s regular session of the City Council at the Sangguniang Panlungsod after he found out that the tax delinquents now reaches P1.1 billion. Lean Daval Jr.
atX-rayDavao Customs Port machine useless for 4 years as case is pending in court By ANTONIO M. AJERO
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ajero_antonio@yahoo.com
HE government is losing hundreds of millions, if not billions of pesos, in unearned revenue due to the inutility of a P260-million x-ray machine at the Designated Examination Area (DEA), a facility inside a privately-owned container yard adjacent to the Davao Customs Port. Documents obtained by Edge Davao reveal how the expensive X-ray Inspection/
CAVEAT EMPTOR
Scanning Facility became a virtual “white elephant.” The x-ray machine was installed by the Bureau of Customs in 2007 to assist the DEA in the “proper collection of duties and taxes, the prevention of the entry of drugs and other anti-social goods, and to facilitate the Customs clearance process for containerized consolidated shipments.” The machine, the only
one of its kind in Mindanao, is ideal for detecting contraband goods such as smuggled items, drugs and terrorist weapons. It was installed by the BOC in the container yard of businessman Rodolfo Reta, whose family donated a considerable area to the Davao City Port in barangay Sasa. The DEA with the x-ray machine is covered by a memorandum of agreement
between Reta and the BOC
FP260-M, 10
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HIRTY four out of 104 impounded motorcycles were returned to their owners by the Traffic Management Center after the completion of the requirements yesterday, an official said. P/Supt. Rhodelio Poliquit, newly-installed head officer of the TMC and head of the Traffic Management Group of the Davao City
Police Office, said that the impounded vehicles are using modified mufflers (borabora), which violates the Comprehensive Transport & Traffic Code of Davao City and R.A 4136 of Land Transportation and Traffic Code. Police conducted surprise inspections against borabora motorcycles on February 5-6.
F34, 10
want to buy land on Samal island? By CHENEEN R. CAPON
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crc@edgedavao.net
N official of Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) warned prospective land buyers in Samal against sellers and brokers of properties offering them at for very low prices. City administrator Cleto Bravo Gales Jr., told media persons during the
Davao Business Forum at DermPath in cooperation with SM City and San Miguel Purefoods, that they have received complaints from land owners in their offices. “Naay complainant nga niadto sa among office kay matamaan man iyang gipalit na lupa sa road de-
velopment,” he said, adding that most land sellers do not consult the road development plans of the city. According to him, there is also a loophole of the E.O. 184, otherwise known as the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992 that is being abused by ille-
FCAVEAT, 10
Acosta bats for local version of FOI bill By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.
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abf@edgedavao.net
HE local version of freedom of information (FOI) only deals with the information and documents needed by the people. This is the claim of councilor Maria Belen Sunga-Acosta, the proponent of the proposed FOI ordinance in the city council. Acosta told reporters in yesterday’s “Pulong-Pulong ni Pulong” that the that the proposal has no intention to
divulge state secrets, defense treaties or intelligence efforts that might compromise on-going operations. “Wala naman talagang ganun na intent. The intent of the bill is to define ano ang public records, ano yung public transactions, ano yung official documents, na should be readily available hindi lamang sa media kundi pati na rin sa mga private citizens, lalo na ngayon na online information is very
much in demand. Why do we have to go to city hall halimbawa or why do we go to the city council if we can accesse it online since we are in this internet age already,” said Acosta. “Kahit yun sa simpleng bagay na lang kahit hindi official document kahit late registration ng mga anak, diba, that happens na hindi narerehistro kaagd kay tungod gipanganak sa balay or sa usa ka commad-
ENTERTAINING. Students from the different schools in Davao del Norte perform ethnic dances during the opening
FACOSTA, 10 ceremony of the Davao Region Athletic Association (DAVRAA) meet in Tagum City Sunday afternoon. Lean Daval Jr.