Over 90m BSKE ballots are printed

MORE than 90 million official ballots to be used in the forthcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) have been printed, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced on Monday.

Meanwhile, SEN. Jinggoy Estrada seeks to institutionalize special polling precincts accessible for persons with disabilities (PWDs) and senior citizens.

Comelec spokesman John Rex Laudiangco said the National Printing Office (NPO) in Quezon City has printed 90,613,426 ballots for the BSKE polls.

4Ps to construct 4,000 homes in Angeles City

By Vince Lopez

ANGELES City—A total of 15,000 housing units will be built here as part of the government’s massive housing program to provide decent and affordable homes to the less fortunate Filipino families.

her port of origin. X-ray scanning showed that Sandra’s luggage, which was also subjected to K9 and physical examination, contained six kilograms of shabu.

“Through the intensified screening operations by Customs NAIA X-ray Inspection Project (XIP) personnel, a suspicious image inside the luggage was reported and was eventually physically examined by duty Customs examiner,” the Port of NAIA stated in its report released on Monday.

The suspect is now in the custody of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and will be charged with violation of Republic Act 9165 (Dangerous Drugs Act) and RA 10863 also known as the Customs Modernization Act (CMTA).

Just recently, XIP examiners also detected a shipment of shabu worth more than P79.9 million at a Customs bonded warehouse in Pasay City. Joel E.

Zurbano

Abusive American faces deportation

BUREAU of Immigration operatives have arrested an overstaying American who allegedly maltreated a delivery boy in Cebu City.

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco identified the suspect as Phillip Justin Bean, 43, who was collared at a hotel room in Day-as, Barangay Zapatera, Cebu City on March 1.

Follow-up investigations showed that Bean was already overstaying in the country for almost one year.

BI records showed that his last extension of stay was on April 7, 2022, thus he already overstayed his tourist visa by 11 months.

“He has no right to verbally and physically abuse a Filipino. His actions show that he is abusing the hospitality of our country. He should be deported for being an undesirable alien,” Tansingco said. The BI chief said the foreigner also appears to be an illegal worker as it was learned that he works as a duty manager in a bar in Cebu City without the required work permit and visa.

He added that Bean will be included in the immigration blacklist to perpetually ban him from re-entering the Philippines. Vito Barcelo

“The ballots numbering over 90 million have been 100 percent printed. Those in the initial voters’ list have a ready been fully printed,” Laudiangco said during the Laging Handa briefing. He said a total of 66,973,949 barangay ballots and 23,639,477 SK ballots that would be used in the Oct. 30 polls have been prepared.

“We will just need to print those for new voters numbering about 1.6 million. These are those that applied from December 12 to January 31,” he added.

According to him, the poll body currently finalizes the number of success- ful voter applicants.

Under the Voter’s Registration Act, all applications for voter registration should be heard, processed, and approved by the Election Registration Boards (ERBs).

Laudiangco also reported that other poll supplies and paraphernalia have been delivered and are ready for deployment.

He said they will just need to conduct training for those that will serve as members of the Electoral Boards (EBs).

“We can really say that your Comelec is 100 percent ready (for the BSKE),” added the Comelec spokesperson.

Republic Act 11935, which was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., moved the Dec. 5, 2022 village and youth polls to the last Monday of October this year.

Estrada wants the special polling precincts put up in public schools, town halls or plazas, civic centers, community centers, or other similarly designated special venues or areas and preferably those designed with special features to ensure their safety and comfort.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

This ambitious housing program will be carried out under the national housing flagship program of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., called “Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino” (4Ps) which aims to address the country’s housing backlog by setting up 6.5 million houses in six years.

Angeles City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr. signed on Monday a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) led by Secretary Jose Acuzar in Quezon City to formally kick off the project. Under the project, 12 22-storey buildings will be constructed in the city to accommodate the qualified beneficiaries.

Lazatin said this is a landmark and milestone project as Angeles City is among the foremost beneficiaries of the 4Ps.

“I cannot thank you enough for this opportunity of a lifetime. An opportunity for my cabalens to have decent housing. Thank you very much as well for making Angeles City a part of President Marcos Jr.’s one million housing units per year,” Lazatin said in a statement.

The mayor also said he is happy to continue his father’s legacy through the help of President Marcos, Secretary Acuzar, and the whole DHSUD.

The mayor’s late father, former Angeles City Mayor and First District Representative Carmelo Lazatin established the Local Urban Poor and Housing Affairs Office (LUPAHO), and was able to provide 15,000 decent housing to indigent families here during his administration.

With this new project, he said the city government could help more people.

Under the MOU, the city government will provide the land for the project while DHSUD will be in charge of its implementation in collaboration with other key agencies.

The city government will also carry out the beneficiary listing, which shall include but not be limited to, social preparation, census enumeration, socio-economic profiling, and the establishment of social parameters.