Newsbriefs

MAN NABBED FOR KEEPING MINORS

POLICE arrested a 37-year-old man who brought three minors in a motel in barangay Ponce, Cebu City, yesterday dawn.

Eric Cruz was accosted by the security guard of the Queensland motel when he and three minors—a 10-year old girl, a 10-year old and 11-year-old boy—were about to check out around 4 a.m. yesterday.

Police investigation revealed that Cruz allegedly convinced the children who were buying bread in a bakery in barangay Lorega to help him find a prostituted woman in exchange for P1,050 to each of them.

PO3 Genevieve Undalok of the Parian Police Station 1 Women and Children’s Protection Desk said that instead of looking for a “woman,”  Cruz brought the children to a motel around 1 a.m.

Chief Insp. Alexis H. Relado, chief of the Parian Police Station 1, said based on their investigation, the suspect took off the children’s clothes and watched pornographic movies while pleasuring himself.

Cruz, who is now detained in the  police station, denied the allegation by telling police investigators  the children were his niece and nephews.

Relado said they will charge Cruz for violation of  Republic Act (R.A.) 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act. Correspondent Rhea Ruth V. Rosell

CAPITOL WORKS AIRPORT LOT DEAL

THE Cebu Provincial Board (PB) authorized Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia to sign the deed of exchange for the lots in Sta. Fe town, Bantayan Island, as part of its plans to build and operate an airport.

The board approved the resolution during its regular session last Monday after Provincial Baord member Alex Binghay presented it for discussion.

The exchange will involve 16 lot owners covering a total lot area of 113, 726 square meters.

Governor Garcia earlier announced that she will be visiting Sta. Fe town to sign the deed of exchange on April 14.

In 1991, Capitol, through Gov. Emilio M. R. Osmeña, bought 31 parcels of land, consisting a total area of 291,772 square meters in Sta. Fe for  the construction of an airport.

However, a survey and engineering study of the site showed that it was not technically and economically feasible because of its terrain and unstable condition.

Because of this, Capitol will be dealing with private lot owners to swap their property with the Capitol’s lot.

In October last year, Garcia wrote the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) board to inform them of her administration’s airport plans.

Camotes and Bantayan islands in northern Cebu are being promoted as tourist destinations.

Garcia said they hope to start building  the Camotes Island airport on the first quarter of 2012. Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus

COUNCILOR REGISTERS IN SOUTH FOR 2013 RUN

CEBU City Councilor Augustus Pe Jr. formally registered as a south district voter yesterday afternoon.

Pe, the council’s incoming majority floor leader, is now on his last term as north district councilor.

His transfer of registration is reportedly part of his plan to run as south district councilor in next year’s elections.

Edwin Cadungog, south district election officer said, his office has until July 16 to approve Pe’s application for the transfer of his registration records from the north to the south district.

Pe has been a resident of the southern barangay of Guadalupe since 2009 after he left his old residence in the northern barangay of Capitol Site.

“There is no guarantee that no one would question the transfer of my registration. But they could not also prevent me from doing so,” he said.

Cadungog said Pe needs at least six months of residency in the district to be a qualified voter.  But he needs a one year residency to qualify as a candidate for an elective post.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama criticized Pe saying his move was a violation of the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan’s (BO-PK) principle, which is “doing the right thing for the right reason.” But Pe has the support of former mayor and now South District Rep. Tomas Osmeña.

Cadungog said his office would welcome any protest against Pe’s transfer of registration before the July 16 deadline for Comelec action. Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac and Correspondent Edison delos Angeles