Newsbriefs

NO TRANSFER TO TALISAY MARKET

Talisay City vendors opposing their transfer to a new public market in barangay Lagtang won the first round.
Their transfer was put on hold after a court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) based on a petition by the vendors association.
Talisay City Administrator Ritchel Bacaltos said they also postponed the transfer because work remains to be done in the new facility, including the raffling of stalls.
Talisay City officials met with the Talisay City Vendors Association. Vendors association officer Paul Labalan said the new market is smaller compared to the old market.
The vendors group who earlier went to Naga City met President Benigno Aquino III who attended the inauguration of a coal-fired power plant there. Correspondent Gabriel C. Bonjoc

CARCAR CITY CHILD ABUSE

THE grandfather of four children who were molested in Carcar City will be recommended for the witness protection program of the Department of Justice.
Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale said they transferred the grandfather to Cebu City for safekeeping after he received threats since he was the one who sought help to stop the abuse.
The children, aged 2, 7, 8 and 11, were molested by a 64-year-old male relative. Magpale said the sworn affidavits of the children are already with the Provincial Women’s Commission (PWC), which she co-chairs.
Magpale said the children’s accounts were detailed. “There was an attempt to molest one of the children twice. Bastos kaayo,” she said.
Magpale said she was thankful that more victims were resurfacing.
“I’m happy that they are coming out now. At least they know where to go,” she said, referring to the PWC.
“There’s a new climate. Before they would say action would take a long time. Now the barangay captains are telling us what’s going on,” she said.
With this Magpale said she wanted to revive a telephone hotline for victims of abuse. She said she is also looking at a center that could take care of the needs of the four children from Carcar.
The Carcar City government is providing food assistance for the family in the amount of P2,000.
The children will undergo stress debriefing by a child care specialist next week. Magpale and the commission’s technical working group (TWG) will meet tomorrow for a case conference with a Carcar City social worker.
From there, they will decide when to file proper charges against the 64-year-old relative, Magpale said. Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus

POWER OVER MCWD

City Hall is seeking the reversal of a court ruling that affirms the governor’s authority to appoint the board of directors of the Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD).
City officials, in a petition with the Supreme Court, asked the court to affirm the city government’s appointment of Joel Mari Yu, head of the Cebu Investments Promotion Center (CIPC) in the water district.
In their petition, the city government said the court’s ruling violated due process and the equal protection clause of the constitution.
In his March 30 order, Regional Trial Court Judge Gilbert Moises of branch 18 denied the motion for reconsideration filed by Osmeña that nullified Yu’s appointment to the MCWD board. Judge Moises said the governor’s authority to appoint board members isn’t a violation of the Constitution. Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol