News Briefs

3 City Hall execs suspended

The Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas ordered the preventive suspension of three Cebu City government employees pending resolution of an administrative case.

Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Pelagio Apostol ordered the preventive suspension of assistant city engineer June Nadine Sison, construction division head Juanito Pua, and project engineer Joel Pasatiempo.

They are facing charges of grave misconduct for allegedly asking for a brand new computer unit and a high-tech camera from a contractor of the Cebu City government.

The respondents purportedly ordered the suspension of a project when the contractor didn’t give in to the demands.

He said the respondents should be suspended from office during the pendency of the case. The suspension, however, should not exceed six months.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama was mandated by the anti-graft office to “immediately implement” the preventive suspension order against the three respondents./Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol

Capitol paid for P10M CICC utility bills in 2012

The office of Acting Gov. Agnes Magpale was surprised with the report from the Provincial Treasurer’s Office that the maintenance and operation of the Cebu International Convention Center was subsidized by the provincial government.

The acting governor’s spokesperson, Dara Acusar, said the treasurer’s report revealed the electric bill of the CICC in 2012, amounting to P10-million was charged to the Capitol’s general fund instead of the trust fund for the Capitol’s joint  venture with the Mandaue City government for the management of the facility.

Acusar said that report indicates that the CICC is not generating income as expected.

She added that Capitol is also footing water and other utility bills of the convention center./Correspondent Renan Alangilan

Fraternities offer to volunteer services in the Capitol

A group of fraternities in Cebu province has expressed their support to Acting Gov. Agnes Magpale.

A total of 62 officers and members from the United Fraternities and Brotherhood (UFAB) visited Acting Gov. Agnes Magpale yesterday morning to present their manifesto of support.

UFAB, consisting of seven fraternities with over 6,000 members, pledged to cooperate with the provincial government.

Magpale said he may tap the young people as Capitol volunteers. Among the programs where the youth may see action will be in the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council.

Saudi Flores, head of the Doskelion fraternity, told reporters that they have reached out to Magpale since the Garcia administration only gave them promises.

“Karon maglihok na gyud mi. Wala na nagkagubot kay nagkahiusa nami,” he said.

(Now we will act. We are no longer fighting each other.)

The group has requested Magpale to help them become a cooperative so that they can provide skills trainings and jobs for out of school youths./Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus