NEWS BRIEFS
NEW DISTRICT FOR CEBU CITY MULLED
FORMER Transportation Undersecretary Aristotle Batuhan said Cebu City needs to be redistricted so that remote barangays will be well represented in Congress and the City Council.
“We need more representation in the mountain barangays,” Batuhan told residents of barangays Bonbon and Buot-Taup during the ground breaking ceremony of the Bonbon bridge yesterday.
The creation of a third district in Cebu City composed of remote barangays was first proposed by former congressman Antonio Cuenco.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said he agrees with the creation of a third district but said it should not be composed solely of mountain barangays.
“It should have proper zoning. It should be a balance of urban and mountain barangays for development (in the hinterlands),” he said.
“When you have an additional district there is additional budget from the national government.,”
Batuhan is Team Rama’s south district congressional bet opposite Councilor Rodrigo Abellanosa of the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan./Senior Reporter Marian Z. Codilla
CUSTOMS TIGHTENS GUARD VS ILLEGAL MARINE PRODUCTS
THE Bureau of Customs is intensifying monitoring of cargoes, especially those coming from Mindanao to counter the trnansshipment of illegal marine products in the Cebu City port.
Last November 11, P3 million worth of sea shells from Zamboanga City were seized at the Port of Cebu by the customs police.
Container vans that arrive in the port undergo a mobile x-ray scan. We have an intelligence information at the ports, we have contacts and informers. These are the things that we do in ad aily basis to monitor the cargos enetering in our port,” said Cebu Customs District Collector Ronnie Silvestre
Four mobile x-ray machines are used in the CEbu port. Last May, tons mangrove tree barks (tungog) were seized by the Philippine Navy in Pier 1 of Cebu City. It can from Tawi-Tawi in Mindanao.
In the same month, 800 sea corals ready for shipment were seized by police in Lapu-Lapu City.
A criminal case for violation of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines will be filed against the owner of the cargo. /Correspondent Joy Cherry Quito
