NEWS BRIEFS

COMPOSTELA waits for decision

COMPOSTELA residents would have to wait a little longer for the Commission on Election (Comelec) to decide on a 2010 election protest that left the town with no mayor and a municipal council.

This developed despite Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo’s move to ask the Comelec to hasten the decision of the election protest.

Interior Regional Director Ananias Villacorta said that Robredo could only do so much because the Comelec was a different agency.

Villacorta said the Department of Interior and Local Government had already done its part in seeking immediate resolution of the election protest, which had been pending at the Comelec following the May 2010 elections.

Until a decision is made, the DILG through Villacorta will have to continue running the town affairs.  Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac

Barili town leaders dismissed

THE Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas has ordered the dismissal from service of two government officials who were found liable of serious dishonesty.

Barangay captain Marcelo Baldomero Jr. and treasurer Marilyn Atillo—both of barangay Kalubihan, Barili, southwest Cebu—were accused of pocketing P597,944 in government funds.

The issue stemmed from the complaint of barangay officials with regard to the delay in the release of their honoraria, cash gifts, and other benefits due to the alleged lack of funds. The funds were purportedly drawn as cash advance of the respondents.

The barangay treasurer admitted that some of the cash advances were granted without vouchers. Baldomero, on the other hand, has been on indefinite leave and was nowhere to be found.

The Commission on Audit said that Baldomero has an outstanding unliquidated cash advance of P597,944.  Reporter Ador Vincent S. Mayol

No allowance

CEBU City Mayor Michael Rama said he wants to see an improved management of the Cebu City Jail before deciding to restore the P1,000 monthly allowance for jail guards.

Rama said he was hopeful that the jail management would soon improve under the leadership of its new warden, Supt. Johnson Calub.

More than 100 city jail personnel used to receive a P1,000 monthly allowance from the city government.

In 2002, then mayor Tomas Osmeña cut off the release of the allowances to show his disappointment about how the city jail was run. Prison escapes and confiscations of drugs in the jail were examples.

Rama said it was embarrassing especially when shabu was found inside the jail.

Calub vowed to implement changes in the jail and improve their intelligence network. Doris C. Bongcac