NEWS BRIEFS
THREATS TO ABUSE VICTIM’S FATHER
THE father of the Mandaue City girl who allegedly died of abuse by her stepmother received death threats and was accused of rape.
Arthur Flores said a woman claiming to be the aunt of his former live-in partner Abigael Catindijan, suspect in the death of Kate Arianne Chu Flores, 5, called him last Wednesday and made lewd comments.
When he hung up the phone, the woman, who used cellular phone number +639331515865 texted Flores, saying in Cebuano, “Nothing can pay for rape except your life.” She also said she will keep quiet if anything happens to Flores and his mother Myrna, 58.
Catindijan is still at large. Flores sued her for child abuse and physical injury with homicide.
Arthur said he will report the threats to the Centro police precinct and will return to work on Monday. Cebu Daily News tried to call the woman but she could not be reached.
PO1 Diana Magbanua, desk officer of Centro police precinct, said two of their five potential witnesses refused to testify.
She said they would have helped the case against Catindijan since they claimed to be eyewitnesses of the suspect’s abuse of Kate. REPORTER JUCELL MARIE P. CUYOS
TRAFFICKING IN BOHOL
BOHOL Gov. Edgar Chatto said enforcement of the law against human trafficking in the province needs improvement.
“We want to make sure that more procedures would be set in place to strengthen our advocacy,” Chatto said in an interview during the Central Visayas Regional Development Council meeting at Cebu City’s Montebello Hotel.
The governor said they would ask local government units to create strategies, train social workers and educate the public to combat human trafficking. Human trafficking would be on top of the agenda in the next meeting of the Central Visayas Regional Peace and Order Council that Chatto heads.
Chatto said human trafficking is not rampant in Bohol, but the recent rescue of 15 Boholanas from alleged traffickers is an eye-opener.
The women and girls, and two Tagalog-speaking suspects, were stopped just before they boarded a ship to Manila at Cebu’s pier 4 last week.
The victims remain in the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. REPORTER CANDEZE R. MONGAYA
CAÑETE: MCC MOTION IGNORED
BELEAGUERED Mandaue City College president Paulus Cañete yesterday said the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) failed to reply with its motion to reconsider its December 2010 order to close the school.
Cañete, in a press conference, said he filed the motion for reconsideration 26 days after Ched served the order on Dec. 3, 2010.
“We had a pending motion with the Ched central office but we were outsmarted by a notice,” Cañete said.
Cañete referred to Ched chairperson Dr. Patricia Licuanan’s notice dated July 4 informing the public that the college has no legal personality to operate.
Cañete also questioned why Ched barred their education degree holders from taking the Licensure Examination for Teachers and why passers’ licenses won’t be renewed.
He pointed out that while they completed 90 percent accreditation with Ched, graduates of colleges with pending permits were allowed to take licensure examinations.
Dr. Amelia Biglete, Ched-7 regional director, in a letter dated Aug. 8, said the colleges in the process of complying with Ched requirements are Cordova Public College, Talisay City College, Sibonga Community College, Lapu-Lapu City College and Trinidad Municipal College in Bohol. REPORTER JUCELL MARIE P. CUYOS
LAPU CAPTAIN MAY FACE SUIT
A LAPU-LAPU City barangay captain may face charges of abuse of authority and usurpation after he allegedly ordered last Tuesday the demolition of a store without a proper order.
Agus barangay captain Remegio Oyao ordered the demolition of Janet Igot’s store because it encroached on a barangay road, said Bobby Talingting, 38, and Deodato Manayon, 34. The two said Oyao enforced the demolition based on an order by Rogelio Veloso, OIC city engineer.
Igot filed a complaint of malicious mischief against the two. She said she is preparing a case against Oyao.
Oyao, in an interview, said sometime last month, they warned the owner of an old house near Igot’s place to voluntarily tear it down as it will hamper passersby if it collapses.
When informed of the structure, Oyao said, Veloso told him, “You might as well include other illegal structures in the area.”
He said he acted on the verbal order and included Igot’s store in the demolition.
Oyao said Igot extended her house in the time of the former barangay captain, encroaching on the road leading to the barangay gym. He said Igot converted the extension to the store that he did not give a business permit.
Oyao said he has been telling City Administrator Teodulo Ybañez about Igot’s store but received no response. CORRESPONDENT NORMAN V. MENDOZA
