News Briefs

STATE OF CALAMITY

A declaration of a state of calamity is being recommended after Thursday’s fire in  sitio Laray, barangay San Roque, Talisay City.

City Councilor Celiapo Cabuenas    sponsored the  move which will be discussed during Talisay City Council’s session on Tuesday.

Based on a post-fire report, 14 houses were destroyed and one  house was partially burned.

A total of 17 families or  96 individuals were affected.

The resolution seeks authority for  Mayor Socrates Fernandez to release  P300,000 from the city’s calamity fund.

The fire broke out at 11:47 a.m.

It  was contained in 20 minutes.

SFO2 Felipe Abarquez said the fire started at the house of Basillo Ornopia. No one was home when the fire broke out.

Electrical misuse may have caused the fire, said Abarquez.

Property damage was pegged at P300,000. /Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus

CLEARED

AN official of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau in Central Visayas (MGB-7) was cleared of liability by the Ombudsman-Visayas on  charges that he failed to act on a complaint filed with  his office.

The Ombudsman said it found no probable cause to rule against MGB-7 chief Roger de Dios.

The complaint was filed by  Robin Gonzales.

In May 2007, Gonzales filed a complaint against Lazi Bay Resources Development Inc. (LBRDI) and/or Goodyield Resources Development Inc before the MGB-7.

He accused the company of failing to pay him royalties for quarry materials taken from a certain lot.

Gonzales said no action  was taken  by the MGB.

In his counter-affidavit, De Dios said he wrote the president of LBRDI and submitted a copy of Gonzales’s complaint to them.

LBRDI said the company would  reply to Gonzales’ complaint in due time.

De Dios said he made several follow ups with LBRDI to verify if they acted on Gonzales’s complaint.  A month later, the company submitted its answer to MGB. De Dios said LBRDI told him that Gonzales was already paid  his share of  royalties.

The Ombudsman Visayas said  De Dios committed a lapse by leaving the complainant hanging.

“He should have ruled on the complaint and not merely furnished Gonzales with LBRDI’s answer,” said the anti-graft office.  But the lapse wasn’t enough to cause criminal liability.   Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol