News briefs

LTFRB TO OPEN ROUTES TO OTHER BUSES

THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is asking other bus companies to service other routes after 10 Ceres bus units were suspended in the wake of last Monday’s accident in Badian town.

LTFRB Regional Director Ahmed Cuizon said interested bus liners can apply with his office.

Vallacar Transit is asking the agency to postpone the 30-day suspension of their units till after Christmas due to the peak demand for transport during the holidays.

“If we delay the suspension, we may not find out if there are defects in other bus units.  There must be an element of surprise if we want to find out things that need correction,” said Cuizon, who added that this was standard operating procedure in testing  the road worthiness of the vehicles. Correspondent Peter L. Romanillos

OMBUD CLEARS RAMA OF CHARGES

THE Ombudsman cleared Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama of charges of usurpation of authority filed against him by former congressman Tomas Osmeña.

The Feb. 19 resolution was approved by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales.  The case was  dismissed “for lack of probable cause” after Rama refused to allow City Hall  department heads to attend the 2011 budget hearings.

Rama earlier barred acting Cebu City Treasurer Tessie Camarillo from appearing in the City Council’s budget hearings on the 2012 annual budget.  He instead sent Emma Villarete, assistant treasurer.

Rama later designated Villarete as acting treasurer to replace Camarillo, who earlier admitted the city’s failure to meet the year’s revenue collection target.   Correspondent Edison delos Angeles

JUDGES THANKFUL FOR ALLOWANCES

Judges in Cebu City  were  happy to learn that the Cebu City Council would continue granting them  a monthly allowance even if a proposed increase was rejected.

“Maayo gani kay gitagaan mi (It’s already good that we were given), “ said  Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Soliver Peras.  He  said they could not complain because it’s the prerogative of the Cebu City government on whether or not  they would be allotted  an amount.

He was noncommittal about the letter of  ecology lawyer Gloria Estenzo-Ramos, who wrote the council objecting to the practice of  giving allowances to the judiciary as unnecessary and a potential conflict of interest. “She’s entitled to her own opinion,” said the judge.

Ramos said the funds would be better used for the city’s  malnourished children, out-of-school youth and indigent families displaced by floods and fires.

Cebu City will resume giving P35,000 to RTC judges, P30,000 to judges of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities, and P45,000 to justices of the Court of Appeals.

Due to cash flow problems, the city stopped releasing allowances after July last year, but promised their  resumption when funds were available.
In the 2014 annual budget approved by the City Council this week, P11.7 million is appropriated as aid to the judiciary. Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol

CEBU CITY HOSPITAL WARNED ON BUILDING HOSPITAL IN SRP

The Cebu City government may have to consider another location for the Cebu City Medical Center other than the South Road Properties (SRP).

Dr. Gerardo Aquino, chief of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), said a Department of Health policy prohibits building hospitals near bodies of waters.

Aquino, who sits as a member of the CCMC ad hoc committee, said their hospital’s plans to expand their operations in a donated lot in the SRP were prohibited by the DOH.

Councilor Mary Ann delos Santos said the DOH didn’t issue the same warning for plans to build a city hospital at the SRP.

“The ad hoc committee is open to all suggestions considering that it is a big and delicate project.  We don’t want to commit the slightest mistake in this project as much as possible,” she told Cebu Daily News.

The Cebu City government is raising P1.5 billion in donations for a new city hospital through its “Piso Mo, Hospital Ko” campaign.

DOH also committed to allocate P500 million for the new city hospital. Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac