Hagedorn maintains innocence in malversation case

By Rio N. Araja

PALAWAN Rep. Edward Hagedorn on Sunday expressed disappointment over his conviction of malversation of public property involving 14 unaccounted pieces of Armalite rifle.

“I am saddened by the recent decision of the Third Division of the Sandiganbayan in the case against me, People v. Edward S. Hagedorn in Criminal Case for malversation of public property,” he cited.

“I would like to clarify that while the charge against me pertains to malversation, this case does not involve any taking or misuse of public funds. It is about Philippine National Police-issued firearms which I was accused of not returning. However, I maintain my innocence of these charges and I maintain that I turned these firearms over to the PNP. I firmly believe that the evidence will eventually vindicate me,” his statement read.

“In my years of public service, I have never enriched myself at the expense of the Filipino people. I steadfastly maintain my innocence of these charges against me. I will not allow this unfortunate judgment to dampen my faith in the justice system and the rule of law. I will pursue all the available remedies within the moral confines of the law. Thus, the sub judice rule precludes me from speaking further on the merits of this case,” he further stated.

By Jun David

THE Caloocan City government recently held a job fair through the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) at the Caloocan City Sports Complex. More than 5,300 job vacancies are now available for Caloocan City residents at the Mega Job Fair, local officials said.

City Mayor Dale Gonzalo Malapitan invited

By Butch Gunio

THE Municipality of Samal has been cited for its environmental practices and recently received the “Outstanding Practice in Operation of Materials Recovery Facility (MRF)” award.

Samal Mayor Alex Acuzar received the award during a government-sponsored Environmental Summit 2023 held at Widus Resort and Casino, in Clark, calling for swift action on the nursing personnel shortage amid the exodus of Filipino nurses for overseas work.

She outlined several key solutions to tackle the challenges and bridge the gap between the public and private sectors.

Tutor acknowledged that such solutions are possible but cited the complexity of the situation.

She highlighted the “disparity between the wages and compensation of nurses in public and private hospitals with private nurses facing significantly lower rates due to regional wage differences.”

She proposed the “setting of minimum wage rates specifically for nurses in the private sector, ensuring uniformity across all regions” of a “fair minimum wage range of P700 to P1,000 net per day for registered nurses in private hospitals, gradually implemented over several years to allow for adjustment.”

She said there is a need to resolve backlogs and delays in PhilHealth remittances to private hospitals that have contributed to their financial struggles.

She recommended hiring contractual and job order nursing assistants and nursing aides to reduce the workload of registered nurses and the amendment of the Nursing Law to grant the Professional Regulation Commission the authority to “issue licenses to additional types of nurses, such as nurse practitioners, nurse assistants, and nurse aides.” residents to join the job fair to take advantage of the employment opportunities provided by the city government.

The mayor also expressed his gratitude towards PESO and the 53 partner companies for making the event possible and vowed to continue his administration’s efforts in prioritizing livelihood and employment projects to provide a more comfortable life for his constituents.

Pampanga on June 26. He was accompanied by OIC Menro Arnel A. Cantor in receiving the award. Gov. Joet Garcia conveyed his congratulations to the Samal LGU and Acuzar for the environmental award.

In the same ceremony, Bataan was awarded “Outstanding Province in Sustainability of Ecological Solid Waste Management” and Brgy. San Antonio, Bagac for “Outstanding Barangay Materials Recovery.”