Newsbriefs

ASSISTANT OMBUD WANTS OUT

ASSISTANT Ombudsman Virginia Palanca-Santiago for the third time asked to retire early.

She recently submitted her retirement papers to Acting Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro.

Santiago said her decision came after Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Pelagio Apostol criticized her for representing the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas in his place in several executive meetings.

“I have no wrath against anyone. If God wants me to go, so be it. If not, let it be,” Santiago said.

“Work shall continue as long as we decide cases based on evidence and we haven’t stepped on anyone’s foot.”

Santiago’s superiors in the anti-graft office want to keep her until her mandatory retirement July 2012.

Santiago will turn 64 on July 16. She earlier said she wanted to retire as her children wished, citing concerns about her health. Santiago said there are other people who can do her job well.

But Santiago remains vibrant and energetic. She drives her car and teaches law at the University of San Carlos.

Santiago repeatedly said the Ombudsman is not sitting on cases but is doing everything to resolve these on time. Santiago said she is praying that the next Tanodbayan will do well./REPORTER ADOR VINCENT S. MAYOL

UNTITLED CITY HALL

IS the Cebu City government an informal settler?

The area on which the two buildings of Cebu City Hall and Plaza Sugbo stand has no land title, said Rolando Ardosa, chief of the General Services Office.

“Yes, the City Hall building has no land title. We are only holding a tax declaration,” he said.

“This is one of our pilot projects now: to secure the papers needed to acquire those land titles including for City Hall.”

He said a land survey of the City Hall area is ongoing so the city government can have a geodetic sketch of the City Hall complex.

“The land survey result is very essential in our effort to secure the land title,” Ardosa said.

The survey result will be turned over to the engineering office for the next step in securing a land title.

Cebu City’s South Road Properties got a land title ahead of City Hall./CORRESPONDENT EDISON A. DELOS ANGELES

SHERIFf-PUNCHING CONDEMNED

THE Sheriffs Confederation of the Philippines Cebu City Chapter condemned Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte’s punching of a sheriff.

In an interview over radio dyLA in Cebu City, chapter president Jessie Belarmino also said Interior and Local Government Secretary Jessie Robredo should look into how the police acted in the incident.

Belarmino said policemen who escorted the demolition team did nothing when Duterte assaulted Sheriff Abe Andres.

“She can be arrested for obstruction of justice. The mere fact that she inflicted harm on the sheriff was already a criminal act…. Maybe the DILG should look into it and ask the police to explain why they did not stop the mayor or even arrest her,” Belarmino said in Cebuano.

Belarmino admitted that he is apprehensive that similar incidents might happen elsewhere in the country.

Local officials may intervene in demolitions provided they don’t inflict physical harm, he said.

Belarmino said appeals to delay a demolition can be entertained depending on the judgment of the sheriff.

But if the sheriff decides to pursue the demolition, it’s their “ministerial job” and they should not be faulted./CORRESPONDENT JHUNNEX NAPALLACAN