News Briefs

Fernan bridge rehab sked this week

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will present their working schedule on the Marcelo Fernan bridge this week.

Engr. Ricardo Renault said DPWH personnel started asphalting a portion of the road in the old Mandaue-Mactan Bridge over the weekend.

Renault, who said the 10 p.m to 6 p.m. rehabilitation work on the Mandaue-Mactan bridge was workable, said the scraping of asphalt off the road from Lapu-Lapu City going to Mandaue City was done the other night.

After the asphalt laying, some workers will remove the trussels off the Mandaue-Mactan bridge and start asphalting the Fernan bridge.

Renault said the Fernan work schedule will be presented to the bridge board on Thursday.

The schedules were created after prodding from MCBMB following complaints of heavy traffic caused by day repairs on the two bridges.  Magpale asked the DPWH to finish the work in the Mandaue-Mactan bridge in the next two weeks.

Ricardo said expansion joints for both bridges will also be done.  He hopes that there won’t be any traffic congestion since they will be asphalting one lane at a time.

“Every asphalting we do on one lane will be accessible once it’s done,” Ricardo said.  He said there will be five lanes open to the motorists including two from the Mandaue-Mactan bridge. /Reporter Jucell Marie P. Cuyos

Tougher SALN rules out

TOUGHER financial disclosure rules are being enforced to keep government employees and officials honest, the Ombudsman-Visayas said last week.

This after the Civil Service Commission (CSC) mandated officials and government employees to include in their Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) their dollar deposits, unpaid properties and properties owned by spouses.

Pelagio Apostol, Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas, said the rules are in place in the wake of the acquittal of former military comptroller Carlos Garcia in a perjury case.

The Sandiganbayan found the old form of the SALN to be “devoid of specifics.”

Apostol said the impeachment of former Chief Justice Renato Corona also caused the CSC to include new rules on dollar accounts and co-mingled funds.

Under the new rules, the dollar accounts should be revealed in its peso equivalent to avoid violating the law on disclosure of foreign currency accounts.

Co-mingled funds should be declared specifically by the official or employee filing the SALN.

The CSC stated that the acquisition cost should be the basis for stating the value of a land or house.

The new guidelines are based on Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

Apostol said all government workers have until April 30 to submit their respective SALNs.

Anyone who fails to submit his or her SALN, he said, will be charged and may be fined for P5,000 and an imprisoned for not more than five years.

The SALN is a document where elected and appointed government officials declare under oath their total assets and liabilities acquired. /Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol

Fire Olympics in Mandaue City

SEVEN barangays in Mandaue City will showcase their skills in dealing with fire emergencies during the Fire Olympics on March 23 in the Mandaue Reclamation Area.

The Fire Olympics was organized by the Bureau of Fire Protection in Mandaue City as part of the annual Fire Prevention Month observance.

Every barangay team will be composed of 10 members. A seminar workshop will be held prior to the Fire Olympics. /Reporter Jucell Cuyos