Newsbriefs
RAMA JUSTIFIES MEDICAL AID
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama justified the release of funds from the city’s health assistance program for the hospitalization of his secretary’ son.
“Charity begins at homes,” said Rama about the release of P145,000 to defray hospitalization cost of Jose Noel Navasquez, who was confined in Chong Hua Hospital for asthma.
The patient is the son of Rama’s secretary Belinda Navasquez and an employee of the city administrator’s office.
Funds of the City Hospitalization Assistance and Medicines Program (Champ) are usually tapped for indigent patients of the Cebu City Medical Center, not a private hospital.
The financial aid may be bigger than usual but Mayor Rama said its release was not irregular.
As mayor, he said he has the discretion to decide how much assistance to extend to a Champ beneficiary.
Rama said that if City Hall can help city residents with their medical bills, there is no reason why the city government shouldn’t help its employees. /Chief of Correspondents Doris C. Bongcac
SOLD BABY BOY UP FOR ADOPTION
The 2-year-old boy who was sold for P500 by a man claiming to be his father in Compostela town, Cebu last May is up for adoption.
Social workers caring for the toddler said the boy is in the care of of foster parents in preparation for permanent adoption.
Nads Noel of the Reception and Study Center for Children (RSCC) in Cebu City said they are preparing the paperwork for the child to start the adoption process.
“We are processing his birth certificate. It will take a little longer since he is a late registrant,” she added.
A woman who tried to claim the boy as her child was rejected by social workers after they found out she and her partner were homeless scavengers with “negative parenting capability”.
The man who tried to sell the baby is under police custody.
He faces charges of violating Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act. /Correspondent Jessa J. Agua
‘SIGN MOA FOR GUADALUPE’S P17 MILLION AID’
Barangay Guadalupe can have its share of City Hall financial aid if its barangay captain signs a contract for the funds.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said he has not released the P17 million share of barangay Guadalupe because a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) first has to be signed between the mayor and the barangay captain.
“In signing the MOA, I also want to see him face to face,” said Rama said after Guadalupe barangay captain Micheal Gacasan complained about the non-release of funds.
“I can’t sign without meeting the the barangay captain.”
Rama said it was not correct for Gacasan to disregard a City Hall invitation just because he supports the mayor’s 2013 election opponent Rep. Tomas Osmena of the south district.
The Cebu city government appropriated P400 million as aid to its 80 barangays.
The share of assistance is distributed based on population. /Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac
FARMERS RALLY IN DAR CEBU
Farmers from militant groups marched to the office of the Department of Agrarian Reform in Cebu City to demand the stoppage of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms.
They said the law that extended the post-Martial Law agrarian reform program to finish a backlog in distribution of large agricultual landholdings was not effective.
Jaime Paglinawan, chairman of Bayan Cebu, said the program should be stopped because “based on the assesment of Bayan and other farmer’s organizations that the project is a failure.”
The CARP Extension with Reforms or Republic Act 9700 extended the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (RA 6657) which expired in 2009. /Intern Ryan Nuñez Wenceslao
