News Briefs: January 25, 2019

Bounty offer ‘not needed’ to solve ambush on Cebu mayor

Philippine National Police Director General Oscar Albayalde on Thursday said a bounty was not needed to resolve the killing of the husband of Mayor Lakambini Reluya of San Fernando, Cebu province, and two others. Albayalde said that even without the P50-million reward offered for information that led to the arrest of Ako Bicol Rep. Rodel Batocabe’s killers, the case would still have been solved. In an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel on Thursday, Albayalde said he gave the provincial director of Cebu and the police chief of San Fernando town two weeks to solve the ambush on Reluya, who survived. The mayor and five others, including her husband Ricardo, president of the Association of Barangay Councils in San Fernando, were traveling in a van when unidentified men opened fire on their vehicle on Tuesday night in Barangay Linao, Talisay City. —JEANNETTE I. ANDRADE

DILG: Mayors can’t leave in times of calamities

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will revoke travel authorities and leaves of absence issued to local chief executives in times of disaster and emergency. DILG spokesperson Jonathan Malaya on Thursday said the move would ensure that local officials would no longer be “missing in action” when they were most needed by their constituents. Malaya said Interior Secretary Eduardo Año issued a memorandum on Jan. 4 ordering the immediate recall of travel authorities and leaves of absence of local chief executives in cases of natural or man-made disasters or calamities. The DILG on Monday endorsed to the Office of the Ombudsman the filing of cases against four mayors and a vice mayor from Northern Luzon, namely Tayum, Abra, Mayor Felix Joash Eduarte; Mankayan, Benguet, Mayor Materno Luspian; Natonin, Mt. Province, Mayor Mateo Chiyawan; Sadanga, Mt. Province, Mayor Jose Limmayog Jr.; and Rizal, Cagayan, Vice Mayor Joel Ruma, for their absence from their posts during the onslaught of Typhoon “Ompong” in September 2018.—JEANNETTE I. ANDRADE

Sandiganbayan finds case vs Guagua mayor strong

The Sandiganbayan’s Second Division has denied the motion for a demurrer of Mayor Dante Datu Torres of Guagua, Pampanga province. A demurrer to evidence formally asks the court to decide if the evidence of the prosecution is enough to hold a case, and is tantamount to asking the court for a case dismissal. In a decision issued on Jan. 16, the court denied Torres’ motion, saying there was enough evidence to move forward with the trial. Torres was indicted for illegal use of public funds when he allegedly approved the disbursement of P2.76 million for the rehabilitation of Manuel P. Santiago Park in the town. The funds had been earmarked for other purposes, prosecutors said.  —PATRICIA DENISE CHIU

Raid on immigration detention center yields banned items

Prohibited items were confiscated from detained foreigners following a raid conducted by the authorities at the Bureau of Immigration (BI) detention center in Taguig City. According to Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente, the seized items included mobile phones, portable air conditioners, portable Wi-Fi, sharp and pointed tools, knives, steel tubes, scissors, laptops, DVD players, playing cards and lighters. Morente said jail guards raided the BI Warden Facility (BIWF) on Tuesday morning. “Past administrations used to be lenient in allowing the detainees to use gadgets because the BIWF is a detention facility for those to be deported, and not a jail,” Morente said. —TINA G. SANTOS