NEWS BRIEFS

Fire victims want to stay put

FIRE victims of sitio San Lorenzo Ruiz, barangay Jagobiao in Mandaue City chose to rebuild their houses instead of staying in vacant cottages and gym of Eversley Child Sanitarium.

Manuel Villaflor, barangay Jagobiao secretary, said the barangay captain allowed the victims to rebuild their houses for humanitarian reasons.

Villaflor said the victims refused to stay at Eversley for fear that they won’t have space to rebuild their houses.

They also want to keep the things they have salvaged from the blaze safe.

He said the barangay council planned to let them sign an agreement for them to promise to leave the property voluntarily once the owner decide to use the lot.

Ownership of the one-hectare property is the subject of a court case between Eversley and YY Company. The Mandaue City Police Office led by Chief Insp. Anthony Bastes yesterday held a feeding program for children of the fire victims. Correspondent Fe Marie Dumaboc

Building requirements pushed

BARANGAY officials in Cebu City were told to secure building permits for their infrastructure projects.

“In their plans, they provided vacant spaces but the problem lies in actual occupancy because there won’t be any vacant spaces,” said engineer Josefa Ylanan, chief of the Office of the Building Official.

Ylanan said the problem is made more difficult if the projects are funded by the national government.

Contractors are made to proceed with the project implementation even in the absence of a building permit.

Ylanan said her office is working with the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) to monitor the barangay projects.

“Even if their projects were already bidded out, I will still require the permit,” she said.

Officials of barangays Sto. Niño and San Roque earlier requested the city for use of portions of roads located near barangays for parking space of their vehicles.

The council’s traffic committee headed by councilor Ritchie Osmeña said this was not possible unless the city’s traffic code is amended.

Ylanan said this could have been avoided if the barangay officials coordinated with OBO in building their barangay halls. Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac

Police recover stolen bike, cell phone

MANDAUE City police recovered a stolen vehicle and one cell phone owned by one of three Italian tourists who were mugged in Cebu City during the Sinulog festival.

The vehicle and cell phone were taken from the safe house of robbery gang leader Harold Vincent Barbero who died in a shoot-out with Cebu provincial police in barangay Tabunok, Talisay City, last Jan. 17.

Insp. Ramil Morpos, Theft and Robbery Section chief, said police were told by police assets about Barbero’s safe house in barangay Sabang, Danao City.

The Nokia Vodaphone was confirmed to be owned by tourist Michele Loungo. The names of his friends appeared in the phone directory.

The police also recovered a mint-green-and-black Yamaha Mio motorcycle. Its owner had yet to be identified.

Some members of Barbero’s group like Ronald Dindin and Marlon Hermoso of Danao City and Justin Flores of barangay Pasil, Cebu City, were arrested by police. Correspondent Norman V. Mendoza