NEWS BRIEFS

SHIPPING LINES FIGHT TO KEEP LICENSES

The shipping companies involved in a collision last August 16 presented their arguments yesterday at the Martime Industry Authority (Marina) – 7 in an effort to keep their certificates of public conveyance.

The Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corp. (PSACC) lawyers Jaime Vibar and Rolando Inting argued that a single collision incident does not warrant the suspension of a shipping company’s franchise.

“The shipping company has addressed the demands of the public. It is not justifiable to suspend its franchise because of the one incident,” said Vibar.

Lawyer Fernan Cabral, the prosecutor during the pre-trial conference, answered that the issuance of the certificate of public conveyance is to bring the passengers and goods safely to their destination.

On the issue that the Sulpicio vessel was using the wrong lane, Inting said that the place of the collision should be established through an Automatic Identification System (AIS).

“The Marina’s basis on the cancellation of franchise must not be based on the accounts that they gathered but should be based on scientific data,” Inting added.

Cabral said that the place where the collision happened should be authenticated.

The two lawyers raised technicalities yesterday, saying that the ship captain of the 2GO submitted their marine protest after 43 hours instead of 24 hours.

2GO, for its part, failed to present a written argument yesterday so the hearing officers decided to reschedule the conference on October 24./CORRESPONDENT MICHELLE PADAYHAG

VIDAL OUT OF CONFINEMENT

Archbishop Emeritus of Cebu Ricardo Cardinal Vidal was discharged from the hospital yesterday, a week after he was confined for the second time in one month.

The 82-year-old prelate was taken to the Perpetual Succour Hospital last Oct. 2, or six days after he was given clearance by physicians to go home after suffering a mini-stroke.

“Last week, he felt something uncomfortable with his chest. His doctor advised to bring him back to the hospital. (But) after some tests, there is nothing to worry,” Vidal’s secretary, Fr. Joseph de Aquino told CDN yesterday.

According to De Aquino, Vidal’s doctors said the cardinal is still adjusting to his medications after experiencing a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or a mini-stroke last Sept. 17.

Vidal, in an interview last week at his residence at the Sto. Niño Village in Banilad, Cebu City, said he was grateful that he survived the mini-stroke.

The cardinal underwent at least four CT scans. He was advised by doctors to abstain from eating meat; to have a low fat, low salt diet; and to avoid the stress of traveling to far places.

Philippine Ambassador to the Holy See Merceditas Tuazon invited him to attend the blessing of the mosaic on Oct. 21, the first anniversary of San Pedro’s canonization.

Vidal said he would also want to travel to Rome to attend the canonization of Blessed John Paul II and John XXIII on April 27, 2014.reporter ADOR VINCENT S. MAYOL

MANDAUE EYES COMPUTERIZED TAX MAPPING

The Mandaue city government plans to acquire new computer software to upgrade their tax mapping.

“We will be looking for technological innovations like a software available in the market to improve tax collection,” said City Administrator James Abadia.

The software will give them specific details on real property or business establishments and lessen the need for field personnel, Abadia said.

Last year, the City Treasurer’s Office tallied 8,000 businesses in a tax mapping campaign but Abadia said their estimate was about 15,000.

The data will be revalidated over 18 months in four phases: trainers training, actual phase survey, and interpretation of data and effects of the survey.

Abadia said tax mapping would prevent businesses from evading taxes.reporter Jucell Marie P. Cuyos