Briefs

TRUCKS USED IN ILLEGAL QUARRY TRACED TO ASTURIAS MAYOR

FOUR trucks allegedly used to transport sand and gravel from an illegal quarry site were seized by an environmental task force in barangay Obogon, Asturias town at 2:55 p.m yesterday. The trucks were reportedly owned by Asturias Mayor Allan Adlawan.

The group headed by Loy Madrigal of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (Penro) said the sand and gravel deposits were bought from Geo Transport and Consruction Inc. The town’s environment office said the gravel and sand were allegedly hauled without a permit. It marked the third time that vehicles reportedly owned by the mayor were seized by the task force. “Sometimes, these workers extract the sand from areas not authorized by the law. But technically, it is the mayor’s fault. I talked to him (Adlawan) and said he does not have problem with the enforcement,” Madrigal said.

Adlawan declined to comment. The mayor was at the provincial Capitol yesterday to attend the first Consultative Stakeholders Summit convened by Gov. Hilario Davide III.

Madrigal said the hauling of the sand and gravel violated a provincial ordinance. As owner of the trucks, Adlawan will be fined P10,000 per truck or P40,000 for the four haulers. “We have to strictly enforce these laws for the benefit of our environment,” said Madrigal. /Correspondent Peter L. Romanillos

GROUPS DENOUNCE CYBERPORN IN CORDOVA

RELIGIOUS groups, non-government organizations (NGOs) and municipal government workers joined a dawn procession to denounce the presence of cyberpornography dens in Cordova town.

The religious procession led by Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoy started with a Mass at Barangay Ibabao Elementary School.

Residents of barangays where the suspected cyberporn dens operate lighted the road side with torches and offered sikwate (hot cocoa) and puto (rice cake) to participants.

The image of the Birhen sa Regla of the Birhen sa Regla Parish in Lapu-Lapu City was carried during the procession from Barangay Ibabao to Barangay Cogon.

“We don’t have the capacity to eradicate cyberpornography, that is why we are appealing to the affected residents through spirituality,” Sitoy said.

Sitoy warned those engaged in human trafficking through cyberpornography to stop their trade or face prosecution. He said the US Department of Homeland Security is assisting the local governments in their anti-trafficking campaign.

A municipal ordinance regulating the operation of money remittance centers in the town is also pending before the municipal council. Correspondent Norman V. Mendoza

21 CONSULTANTS TO BE REHIRED

The services of the 21 consultants will be renewed as recommended by the Mandaue City Consultancy Evaluation Board, the Mandaue City Administrator’s Office said yesterday.

City Administrator James Abadia said the legal office headed by lawyer Giovanni Tianero is studying whether or not to give honoraria to consultants who rendered their services from January to June even without appointments.

Abadia said the Mandaue City government was unable to renew the contractsdue to the ban on appointments that was in force during the election period of the May elections.

One of them was Francisco Amit, who quit last Sept. 16 after failing to get paid for his services. Amit, a consultant on urban planning and socialized housing, said he rendered his services from January to June this year.

Amit said his unpaid honoraria amounted to P98,000. He said Abadia told him that he wasn’t paid because there was an election ban. Abadia also cited a Commission on Audit (COA) report that pointed to a duplication of services offered by consultants.

Executive secretary Jamaal James Calipayan said consultants who were not recommended for renewal “failed to justify their expertise and specialization.” Reporter Jucell Marie P. Cuyos