News Briefs

Rice aid to be monitored

DISTRIBUTION of rice stocks to identified beneficiaries will be transparent to avoid suspicions of irregularities, the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) said yesterday.

Newly designated PSWDO chief Evelyn Senajon said the reminder was issued by the Commission on Audit (COA) in light of the Capitol’s allocation of rice stocks to typhoon and earthquake victims in Cagayan de Oro, Iligan and Dumaguete City respectively.

“We simply cannot release the National Food Authority (NFA) rice stocks without issuing a Requisition Issuance Slip (RIS) that will officially record the transaction,” Senajon said.

She said it’s the NFA and the local government and not the PSWDO that will coordinate in allocating the rice aid with the recipient LGU’s social welfare office.

Senajon said she ordered their administrative officer Wilson Ramos to explain why there was no acknowledgment receipt attached to his report on the inventory of NFA rice stocks in a warehouse. Correspondent Renan Alangilan

Magpale wants fair aid allocation

Acting Gov. Agnes Magpale said she wants to be fair in giving aid to other local government units across the province of Cebu.

Magpale was in Mandaue City yesterday to turn over five multicabs and a motorcycle to six barangays.

She said she was told by three barangay chairmen in Mandaue City that there were 12 barangays who haven’t received a P100,000 cash aid.

“I’m not selective because I want equal opportunities for everyone. I learned that not everyone is given aid by the Capitol. I aim to review and correct that,” she said.

The recipients were barangays Umapad, Cambaro, Casuntingan, Maguikay and Banilad and Looc.

The turnover of the vehicles came three weeks after barangay captains visited Magpale at Capitol to follow up on a promise made by suspended Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.

Garcia also promised to donate cement for road concreting projects in the 17 barangays in Mandaue and financial assistance to rehabilitate barangay halls, daycare centers and health centers. Reporter Jucell Marie P. Cuyos

Traffic aide caught for alleged extortion

A LAPU-LAPU City traffic enforcer suspected of engaging in extortion was arrested by the Regional Special Operations Group (RSOG 7) in an entrapment operation in barangay Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City at 2 p.m last Sunday.

Silvestre Ponce Jr., a 28-year-old member of the City Traffic Management System (CTMS), was arrested by police after he allegedly received P5,000 in bribe money from complainants  Virgilio Simpron, Juneven Abragan and Fe Babatuan.

The three were apprehended and were found to have an expired vehicle registration. Romanillos drove a company Hyundai Starex van along barangay Maribago.

The three promised to pay P5,000 to Ponce who allegedly asked for the bribe after they were caught.

Ponce was later detained at the RSOG office.

CTMS chief Frank Brazil said Ponce denied extorting P5,000 from the three complainants. An investigation is underway, he said. Correspondent Norman V. Mendoza