News Briefs

CITOM CHAIRMAN UNVEILS TRAFFIC PLANS

A 10-YEAR traffic management plan, more public utility vehicle (PUV) terminals and improvement of Cebu City’s traffic light system are among the priorities of the Cebu City Integrated Traffic Operations Management (Citom).

“We are not expanding our road networks,  The city can only accommodate a certain number of vehicles.  We have to identify infrastructure that will keep traffic moving,” Citom chairman Ruben Almendras said.

Almendras, younger brother of Vice Gov.  Agnes Magpale and Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras, is connected with the Cebu International Finance Corp.

He will assume as Citom board chairman starting Wednesday to replace former councilor and Citom board chairman Sylvan Jakosalem.

Almendras said he already visited the Citom office Thursday last week to speak with Citom office executive director Rafael Yap and operations chief Joy Tumulak.

He told reporters yesterday that it was time to replace the city’s 20-year-old defective traffic system.

Almendras said he directed Yap to communicate with the supplier of the city’s existing Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System (Scats) to check how much a new one would cost. Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac

ARREST WARRANT ON FORMER CONGRESSWOMAN STAYS

THE Sandiganbayan gave the prosecution 10 days to issue its response to a motion filed by former congresswoman Clavel Asas-Martinez to dismiss the graft charges against her.

Martinez was also given five days to file her reply on any comment that will be filed by the prosecution.

Still, the arrest warrant on her stays, the lawyer for Rep. Benhur Salimbangon of Cebu’s 4th district said.

“The warrant was not recalled, it stays,” Salimbangon’s lawyer Jojie Decal said.

Last July 16, copies of the warrant were sent to the Cebu Provincial Police Office, the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas and the Bogo police precinct.

“I think these law enforcement agencies already received the arrest warrant issued by Sandiganbayan against Clavel. It has yet to be served, nonetheless,” Decal said.

Martinez is facing a graft case before the Sandiganbayan over the alleged misuse of a P10 million Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

The graft case against the respondents stemmed from allegations that a P10 million allocation for the Girl Scout of Philippines’ anti-drug campaign was deposited in Martinez’ personal account. Bail was recommended at P40,000 each.

Aside from Martinez, also named respondents were former Bogo City Mayor Celestino “Tining” Martinez III; her daughter and former GSP treasurer Ma. Cielo Martinez; municipal treasurer Rhett Minguez; municipal accountant Cresencio Verdida; bookkeeper Rhodariza Kilantang and GSP Cebu Council cashier Julieta Quino.

Martinez is seeking the dismissal of a graft complaint filed against her, saying there’s no sufficient basis to implead her in the case. Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol

RAMA TO DROP RDC BID, FOCUS ON CITY

AFTER dropping his bid for the presidency of the League of Cities of the Philippines, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama will also skip the chairmanship of the Regional Development Council (RDC) in Central Visayas.

“Dili na lang ta mag huwat  ug endorsement kay wala na man ko sa Liberal Party (Let’s not wait for an endorsement because I’m not from the Liberal Party,” he said.

But if RDC members still vote for him, Rama said he would feel honored. He said he expects the next RDC chairperson to be endorsed by President Benigno Aquino III.

While he is still RDC chairman Rama said he will order the city legal office to review the diversion of P400 million worth of road projects from Cebu City’s south district to Cebu’s 1st first district.

Rama said donating the allocation to another congressional district deprived Cebu City residents of projects supposedly intended for them.

Then-congressman Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district instead allocated the funds to former congressman Eduardo Gullas of Cebu’s 1st district. Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac