8 ROTC trainees claim to have been possessed by spirits

EXORCISE. Fr. Dennis Son rubs holy water on the forehead of one of the 13 ROTC trainees who were purportedly possessed by spirits.

by Elvie Roman-Roa

THE 45-day Reserve Officers Training Course (ROTC) summer camp at the 8^th Regional Community Defense Group was disrupted when 13 trainees were said to have been possessed by spirits that necessitated an exorcism ritual by a priest. Five of the “possessed” were even hospitalized and are now declared in stable condition.

The commotion began on the 9^th day of the training last Apr. 20, Holy Wednesday. The trainees were having a group prayer 10:00 before retiring to the barracks. Suddenly, cadette Maria B. Borden, 23 of San Jorge, Samar began shouting and running on top of the bed bunks in her quarters.

Within that hour, her behavior was followed by two other cadettes. Asst. Instructor Sgt. Cynthia Mae Oliva identified one of them as Gemma O. Uy of Banquerohan, Catarman, Northern Samar. Their bizarre behavior stopped when a pastor trainee said prayers.

The next day however, two other cadettes turned restless and blabbered foreign languages. Witnesses said they heard the two blabber in English, Spanish and Latin. Three other cadettes followed and appeared to have been also possessed.

At 7:00 that night, the five of them were taken to Sts. Peter & Paul Parish Church where a mass was being held. Two of them are Borden and Uy who were possessed the previous day. The others were identified as Marjore Cafe, Jecel Asuncion and Rejena Montederamos.

Inside the church, Fr. Dennis Son performed an exorcism while other parishioners, lay ministers, seminarians and members of Legion of Mary prayed over the cadettes. But when the cadettes turned restless that panicked many churchgoers, Mayor Eric C. Codilla ordered that they be taken to the hospital.

A former seminarian, Mayor Codilla believes what the cadettes experienced is stress-related considering ladies are not as physically tough as guys in military training. Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Gilbert Urbena agrees, saying the cadettes may have undergone over-fatigue and nervous breakdown.

On Good Friday afternoon, another cadette started having a seizure while pointing to the comfort room (CR) in their barracks. Group Commander Col. Pascual A. Somoray II said many enlisted men had strange experiences in that CR where hundreds of American soldiers were said to have been buried after a bombing in World War II.

The five cadettes were sedated most of the time during their confinement at Ospa-Farmers Medical Center. They were discharged on Black Saturday with a bill of P26,900 of which Mayor Codilla shouldered P17,000. One of the patients was diagnosed with urinary tract infection.

But the “possessions” went on through the weekend. All in all, 13 trainees, both men and women, were allegedly possessed by spirits named “Carmelita,” “Isaac,” “Luisito,” and a little girl named “Monica.” Fr. Soon said mass at Camp Jorge Downes on Easter Sunday 10:00 am attended by trainees and the soldiers’ wives.

Borden, one of those possessed, narrated her ordeal. According to her, her body was taken over by a certain “Carmelita” who was about 15 or 16 years old when she died. Carmelita said she was raped and killed in 1826, and her body was dumped near an acacia tree within the camp. She complained of being disturbed by the noise created by the military exercises.

TSgt. Ricardo Cabrera said ghost stories within the camp is not unusual. Some cadets claim to have seen ghosts while others hear marching sounds even if there were no exercises in the middle of the night. The ROTC summer clinic has 163 trainees, 74 of them female.

(West Leyte Weekly Express issue of Apr. 11-17, 2011)

San Isidro oil drilling may yield up to 18M barrels

THE drilling operation in San Isidro, town can yield from two million to 18 million barrels of oil, Otto Energy Ltd. announced. It also bared that the Duhat-1 has commenced drilling with the official spud of the well this month. The Desco Rig-1 drilling unit is being used for the well which is expected to take 27 days to reach the depth, a company statement said.

Otto Energy Ltd., which is in charge of the Duhat-1 exploration well in Service Contract (SC) 51 in Leyte, will sink in $2.5-$3 million for the drilling operations. The service contract covers 332,000 hectares. The drilling of the Duhat-1 exploratory well is part of the current sub-phase of the contract.
Early this year, Otto Energy signed a “farm-out” agreement with Swan Oil and Gas Ltd. for Service Contract 51 in the Visayas. A “farm-out” agreement allows a company to offer part of its participating shares in a service contract to another company to help fund projects in the area.

Otto Energy is supposed to transfer 40% equity in SC 51 to Swan but will remain as the operator. The agreement has been approved by the SC 51 joint venture partners and is awaiting approval of the Energy Department.

 

Parters in the consortium are Trans-Asia, Alcorn Gold Resources Corp., PetroEnergy Resources Corp. and NorAsian Energy Ltd., a unit of Otto Energy. Based on initial studies, the area has enough deposits of oil which we could get as two million to 18 million barrels.

Let the games be gone

EXCEPT for the occasional ACLC-WLC basketball rift, local sports news doesn’t merit controversy. This monotony is broken by a badminton tournament in Baybay wherein the most contested event was abruptly dissolved on dubious grounds (read more on the sports page).

The report merits attention because first, it involves one of the well known sports organizations there -- the Hapakers Badminton Club; second, the event is considered a major corporate tournament of sorts, participated by some of the big name companies in Baybay and Ormoc, and sponsored by the governor, congressman and mayor.

As has been mentioned, trouble arose when the championship match for the Team Event between the Ormoc team and Leyte Sports Academy (LSA) was called off. But going beyond the technicalities, one could smell a rat from afar upon finding out that tournament officials have their own interest on the teams.

Club President Emmanuel S. Licup is the managing director of SC Coco Global Products Inc. while tournament manager Peter Luke Valenzona is (drum roll please) the coach of LSA. So why are we not surprised? The organizers came up with reasons to dissolve the championship match, mainly the late payment of registration fee by the Ormoc team.

But why did the organizers allow the Ormoc team to qualify in the first place if late payment of registration fee would become an issue? Also, why did they have to wait for the team to survive the elimination matches before making a fuss? And did we mention that sore losers are fond of changing rules in the middle of the game?

Then they made an issue out of Ormoc team’s number of players. Citing their rules, a team should be composed of five players at most but Ormoc team fielded 10. The organizers suddenly become stickler of rules but forgot that they waived that rule as a compromise to allow LSA to take part in the Team Event.

Again, based on their own rules, the Team Event is a corporate category. The Ormoc team members consist of employees from the city government, Energy Development Corp. and National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, whereas LSA is composed of varsity players. But it’s so convenient to break that rule especially if you have the LSA coach as tournament manager, isn’t it?

The rat stench becomes even more obnoxious after SC Coco Global and Baybay Photographers Society withdrew their registration fees. To refresh our memories, club president Licup is a company official of SC Coco Global. Why would he cause embarrassment to his own tournament by allowing his own company to withdraw its registration fee?

Didn’t he realize that by doing so, there will be no budget left for prizes in the Team Event of which Ormoc team happens to be leading? Unless the move was staged to justify the dissolution of the match. And whatever happened to the sponsorship money they collected that was supposed to go to the prizes?

Here’s what we think. Despite missing the first day of the tournament, the Ormoc players managed to crawl their way up on top of the eliminations and some people in the club didn’t like it. Sports officials are expected to set the example on sportsmanship, not to manipulate rules.

Their misconduct may have deprived a rival team of bragging rights, but it exposed their real nature as “sportsmen.” What does Valenzona suppose this controversy teach his players? As for Licup, we hope his integrity as a company man survives this episode.

Unless they come up with more believable reasons for cancelling an important game, they can’t stop others from thinking that the event they mounted wasn’t a tournament but a sham.

(West Leyte Weekly Exress issue of Apr. 18-24, 2011)

Construction risk mng’t seminar held

By Rommel Quilantang

ORMOC Builders Association (Orba) conducted a Construction Risk Management Seminar for both developers and contractors. Invited to speak in the event is Engr. Alberto A. Ignacio Jr., VP-Operations of First Balfour Inc., a company of the Lopez Group.

Engr. Ignacio talked about the risks in various stages of construction and pointed out the importance of safety, insurance and contracts to avoid future problems. He said it is important for both contractor and the client to agree on salient points of the project before the start of implementation.

He cited actual examples of contractors’ failure to respond to risks that resulted to financial losses as a result of work stoppage. On the other hand, a contractor that is able to prepare and respond to risks will gain a good reputation in the market and will entice more clients and projects, he said.

 

Orba President Engr. Joseph Frederick A. Pepito described the things they learned as very helpful. He adds that with the seminar on Construction Risk Management, which is actually a course in Civil Engineering, local contractors are now guided on the risks involved in project implementation brought about by lack of understanding with their clients.

(West Leyte Weekly Express issue of Apr. 18-24, 2011)

EDC launches ilang-ilang prod’n project in Kananga

By Gerardo C. Reyes Jr.

Energy Development Corp. (EDC) and the municipal government of Kananga launched the Ilang-ilang Essential Oil Production to encourage the town folk to propagate Ilang-ilang flowers. A ceremonial signing by Mayor Elmer C. Codilla and EDC Community Partnership Department Manager Engr. Emeliano Argoncillo highlighted the event.

Engr. Arconcillo explained that the Philippines only has between 20,000 to 300,000 Ilang-ilang trees, most of which  are found in Tarlac province and Central Luzon (10.15%). The number couldn’t supply Europe’s demand for essential oils for perfume. At least 1.8 million trees are needed to cope up with the demand.

Under the program, each barangay will identify three to six hectares of suitable land to plant Ilang-ilang. Engr. Argoncillo explained that three hectares can be planted with 1,000 Ilang-ilang trees that will bear flowers after three to four years. However, full harvest can be expected when the tree reaches eight years.

Fresh Ilang-ilang flowers sell for P8 a kilo while extracted oil is worth P8,000 per liter. This means that 100 trees can earn for the farmer P8,000 a month or P95,000 annually. A thousand tress can fetch P1.9 million annually. At three to six hectares per barangay, Kananga will soon have a 69 to 115 hectares of Ilang-ilang plantations or a potential income of P44-87 million annually by 2015 and beyond.

 

Present at the signing ceremony are Liga ng mga Barangay President Procesa T. Baguio, Department of Education Kananga District I Supervisor Tita P. Alajas and District II Principal in charge Wilfredo Marquez, Kananga National High School Principal Julita Clavel and Lim-ao National High School Principal Marcelo Refuerzo.

(West Leyte Weekly Express issue of Apr. 18-24, 2011)

NFA assures enough stocks to stabilize rice prices

by Jun Colo

DESPITE the continued rise of petroleum products, the National Food Authority (NFA) believes the price of rice will continue to be stable particularly in Ormoc with the arrival of a new shipment next week, according to Senior Grains Operations Officer Victorino H. Dagoy.

Some 20,000 sacks of rice will arrive from Cebu on Apr. 7. The expected rice is rated 5% broken or having the same quality as with the commercial variety. Which is not a bad deal considering NFA rice sells for P27 a kilo compared to P35-36 a kilo of the commercial variety. Dagoy finds it unlikely that retailers in Ormoc mix NFA rice with the commercial variety as their inspectors regularly monitor the stores.

(West Leyte Weekly Express issue of Apr. 18-24, 2011)

VSU-Aussie group project tie-up

A protective structure at a vegetable farm in Ormoc, a technique taught by VSU.

VISAYAS State University (VSU) has tied up with the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) for a project that aims to protect high value commercial crops from the negative effects of heavy rainfall and strong winds. The technology is now adopted by the local government units (LGU) of Ormoc, Baybay and Maasin Cities.

“The concept is they have to protect the plant from rain and strong winds usig bamboos and transparent plastic,” VSU President Jose Bacusmo said. “We have other sophisticated ways to protect crops from weather adversities but the protective structure in this project is very affordable and the materials are widely available.

ACIARE finances the project while VSU provides the manpower and forge linkages with LGUs. At least 50 units are planned to be set up in Baybay alone. “It was proven that the technology works. It has been applied in many parts of the country but it was not implemented here before. We need it here especially that rain is frequent in our place,” Bacusmo explained.

Prof. Gordon Rogers of University of Sydney said Leyte was prioritized because of its heavy rainfall. “It helps to maintain production of crops during wet season. It’s difficult to produce good crops during this season,” he said. This cropping technique is very appropriate here, he adds, considering extreme weather condition decreases vegetable output. A protective structure is needed as safeguard against extreme weather conditions.

 

Bacusmo said they allow farmers to build their own protective structure using bamboos and plastics. Protective cultivation is a cropping technique wherein the micro-climate surrounding the plant body is controlled according to the requirement of the species during its period of growth. The German International Cooperation Agency is interested in expanding the project to other areas in Leyte.

(West Leyte Weekly Express issue of Apr. 18-24, 2011)

Badminton tourney organizers accused of unportsmanlike behavior

By Felix N. Codilla III

CONTROVERSY marred a badminton competition in Baybay City after organizers are accused of manipulating the tournament mechanics to sabotage the chances of the Ormoc team of winning the championship title. The team has sought the assistance of Councilor Ruben R. Capahi, chairman of the Ormoc City Sports Council, as a prelude to filing a formal protest against game organizers.

Under protest is the Summer Smash Badminton Tournament organized by the Hapakers Badminton Club of Baybay. The tourney had three events: Team Event, Age Group for children 12 years old and under, and Open Tournament. The Ormoc team joined the Team Event along with five other teams. The games were scheduled to be played for four consecutive Saturdays starting Mar. 26 to Apr. 15 but the Ormoc team was only able to play beginning the second Saturday on Apr. 2. Despite this setback, it was able to play 15 matches against Leyte Sports Academy (LSA), Salchem and SC Coco Global in all categories and earned 44 points that day.

On Apr. 9 the team played five matches against Baybay Photographers Society (BPS) while all scheduled games against Bayantel were declared wins by default in Ormoc’s favor after the Bayantel team did not show up. With the point system in effect, the Ormoc team finished first n the elimination round with 77 points followed by LSA’s 65 points.

A championship match was set between the top two finishers in Apr. 15. The Ormoc team arrived at Baybay National High School, the tournament site, before 6:00 am on the scheduled date but it was only after the awarding ceremonies for the Age Group and Open Tournament categories that they were informed that the Team Event category was dissolved.

Sought for an explanation, tournament Manager Peter Luke Valenzona cited the following reasons why the Team Event category was incontestably dissolved: 

1. Ormoc team’s entry was forfeited because of late payment of registration fee;
2. SC Coco Global and BPS withdrew their registration fees;
3. As a result of the withdrawal of registration payments, organizers were left with no budget for cash prizes;
4. The number of Ormoc team’s members was protested considering the tournament rules state that each team should be composed of five players at most but Ormoc fielded 10.

Judith F. Paredes who stands as the team’s spokesperson disputes Valenzona’s assertions. According to her, if Ormoc team’s payment of registration was that late, the organizers shouldn’t have accepted their registration fee and issued a receipt, much less allowed them to play in the tournament.

The withdrawal of registration fees by SC Coco Global and BPS are also irrelevant considering the two teams have already been eliminated. Paredes finds the “no budget” reason lame considering the tournament was sponsored by Gov. Carlos Jericho L. Petilla, Rep. Jose Carlos L. Cari, Mayor Carmen L. Cari and LSA.

As to the supposed protest on the number of players, Paredes said this has already been settled, otherwise their team wouldn’t have been allowed to play. Besides, the Ormoc team also questioned LSA’s inclusion in the Team Event which is supposed to be for corporate teams only, but they eventually dropped it. LSA consists of high school varsity players under the Leyte division of Department of Education.

Another act by the organizers which the Ormoc team considers as done in bad faith was the refund of their registration fee behind their back to their sponsor, Badminton City, even if it was the players who handed over the money and received the receipt thereof. Moreover, the organizers returned only P1,300 out of the P2,000 registration fee paid.

The Ormoc team members sees the development as a concerted effort to rob them of the opportunity to win the title considering the organizers themselves have a stake on the losing teams. Valenzona is the coach of LSA while the president of Hapakers Club, Emmanuel S. Licup, is the manager of SC Coco Global which lost in the elimination round.
(West Leyte Weekly Express issue of Apr. 18-24, 2011)

Leyteño wins A$5,000 for rural school

GRATEFUL. Pupils of Cambalading Elementary School express their appreciation to Rusman Tulin (inset photo).

By Janny Maye Pacarat

A LEYTEÑO now residing in Australia won a grant for a small community school in neighboring Albuera town. Rusman Tulin, 38 is awarded A$5,000 (approx. P233,000) that will be used for the improvement of Cambalading Elementary School in his native hometown.

Queensland-based plan company Sunsuper mounted the Sunsuper Dreams contest among its 130,000 plan holders wherein they will share their dreams to make the world a better place. Rusman’s entry to improve Cambalading Elementary School attracted over 3,000 votes, mostly from Toowoomba where he lives.

Rusman works as a nurse in Australia and has been a Sunsuper plan holder since 2002. Last year, Rusman has donated school supplies to the school. Now, he hopes the money won will be used to complete the fence, stage renovation and water system of the school. He plans to visit home this December.

 

Rusman is an overseas Filipino worker hero who has not forgotten to help his countrymen back home. He graduated in BS Commerce major in Management at Western Leyte College in 1993 where he was a student leader. Prior to migration, he worked at the accounting department of Ospa-Farmers Medical Center for eight years.
(West Leyte Weekly Express issue of Apr. 18-24)

WLC wins table tennis at PRISAA

by Elvie Roman-Roa

A TEAM from Western Leyte College won the table tennis championship at the Private Schools Athletic Association (Prisaa) meet on Apr. 8-14 in Zamboanga. Coach Amado Rey Salvame said this is the first time Region 8 won a gold medal in one of the events of Prisaa.

The team is composed of BS Business Administration majors Winston Bustillo, Dodjie Mark Navarro and Mervin Blando. The silver medal was won by Region 11 (Davao) while Region 6 (Western Visayas) won bronze. Region 7 (Central Visayas) place 4^th. Last year, Region 6 was champion followed by Regions, 7 and 6. 
(West Leyte Weekly Express issue of Apr. 18-24, 2011)

Kawatan nanghugkab og pagkaon

ni Dong Arañez

USA ka balay ang gilungkab sa Purok 5, Baguioville Subdivision, Simangan, ning syudad niadtong Abril 17. Sumala pa sa nagpuyo sa balay nga si Erwin Pacaña, 42-anyos, minyo nga wala siya sa balay atol atong tungora kay duty siya sa gitrabahoan niya sa Energy Development Corp. sa Tongonan, ning syudad.

Gibana-banang mga 3:00 o 4:00 sa hapon nakasulod ang kawatan. Pag-uli niya sa balay mao na lay iyang nasayran nga abri na ang pultahan ug pagsusi niya nalimas intawon ang ilang grocery alang sa usa ka simana. Nawagtang sad ang itom nga bintilador. Walay laing nakuha ang kawatan ug hayan nga gutom lang kadto ug ang tuyo lang niini ang pagkaon sa kusina.

(West Leyte Weekly Express issue of Apr. 18-24, 2011)

Amahan gimolestiya ang 3 ka mga anak

ni Elvie Roman-Roa
USA ka amahan ang gidakop sa pulis niadtong Biyernes Santo, Abril 22 tungod sa paglugos sa iyang kaugalingong anak. Ang gikatahapan nailhan nga si Sozimo Antolihaw, 55-anyos, nagpuyo sa Cagbuhangin, dinhi sa Ormoc. Siya gikasuhan sa paglugos sa niyang anak nga si Angel (dili tinuod ang ngalan), 16-anyos.
 

Ang kamaguwangan nga igsuon nga si Evita (dili sad tinuod ang ngalan), 30-anyos ang nangayo og ayuda sa kapulisan human mitug-an ka niya ang manghod nga gilugos siya sa ilang amahan niadtong Huwebes Santo sa 7:00 sa buntag samtang nagdekorasyon sa kapilya ang ubang sakop sa pamilya.
 

Matud sa biktima nga gisugdan siya og lugos sa iyang amahan niadto pang nuwebe-anyos siya sa nagtungha pa siya sa ika-upat nga grado. Wala sad mubalibad si Antolihaw sa pasangil ug nag-ingon nga nahimo niya ang maong salaod kung mahubog siya. Wala daw mubalibad ang iyang anak sa iyang gibuhat.
 

Bisan gani ang manghod ni Angel nga 12-anyos nagreklamo sad nga gisugdan na siya og molestiya sa ilang amahan. Hasta pud ang kamaguwangan nga si Evita niagi diay sa mga kamot sa amahan sa dihang nag-edad pa siya og 13 hangtod 15-anyos. Nakapuyo pa gani siya sa Lingap Center tungod niini hangtod nga nilarga siya’g Manila aron manarbaho.

 

Matud ni Antolihaw nga andam niyang ang silot sa iyang salaod. “Tinuyuan man ni nga sala, papreso na lang ko; tingali’g maghikog pa hinuon ko kon makagawas ko kay makonsyensya ko,” ingon pa niya. Ang gikatahapan adunay walo ka anak ug gikasuhan na siya sa paglapas sa Akta Republika 7610.

(West Leyte Weekly Express issue of Apr. 18-24, 2011)

Leyte Agri stops producing bio-fuel

THE high cost of molasses has forced Leyte Agri Corp. (LAC) to temporarily stop its production of bio-ethanol which is a suitable alternative to gasoline. LAC Chief Operations Officer Ruben Villanueva said planters prefer to convert their canes to sugar due to the comparatively higher buying price from sugar mills at P2,000 per 50 kgs. compared to LAC’s P1,600, 

Aside from the high cost of molasses, a major raw material for ethanol production, competition from imported ethanol also forced LAC to stop its production. “The government has failed to impose 20% tariff on ethanol and the local industry has been affected by this situation. I appeal to the national government to regulate the importation of ethanol and use molasses price as price index,” he adds.

Villanueva also said they stand to lose P45-50 million annually if they continue with their bio-ethanol production. “Bio-fuel industry has some potential but not today; maybe in the future. Unless cane production and efficiency increase, we cannot compete with imported ethanol,” Villanueva explained.

LAC’s P35 million facility in Ipil, this city previously produced 10,000 liters per day, though it has the capacity to produce 15,000-20,000 liters per day. Villanueva clarified however that being a small manufacturer of bio-ethanol, LAC does not reflect the problems of the big players in the industry.

Two other ethanol plants, San Carlos Bioenergy Inc. in San Carlos and Roxol Bioenergy Corp. in La Carlota, both in Negros Occidental, have also stopped producing ethanol Both plants have the capacity to produce 30 million liter annually.

In the meantime that LAC has stopped its bio-ethanol production, the plant continues to produce ethyl alcohol for the denatured market. “We can still revive our bio-ethanol production if it becomes viable this year,” Villanueva said. “We just need adequate support from government.” He also said the Bio-fuels Law of 2006 should be fully implemented which calls for a mandatory mixing of 5% ethanol in gasoline in the first four years, to be increased to 10% thereafter. By Reyan L. Arinto

(West Leyte Weekly Express, Jan. 10-16, 2011)

CA boosts Ormoc's protest against water extraction by LMC

by Felix N. Codilla III

THE Court of Appeals (CA) 19^th Division annulled the order of the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) to deny the opposition of the local government unit (LGU) of Ormoc on the Water Permit Application (WPA) of Lide Management Corp. (LMC) on technical grounds.

In a 14-page order decision handed down on Dec. 15 and signed by Chairperson Portia Aliño-Hormachuelos, and concurred by Associate Justices Edwin D. Sorongon and Socorro B. Inting, the CA lambasted the NWRB for abusing its discretion “in blindly adhering to technical rules of procedure by dismissing outright said petition (of the LGU).”

The case began when LMC filed WPA Nos. 38108-38111 on Jul. 3, 2003. The application seeks to draw an additional 262 liters per second (lps) of water from Ormoc on top of the 254 lps it already extracts or a total of 516 lps. As the administrator of Leyte Industrial Development Estate (Lide), LMC supplies water to the industrial locators of Lide in Isabel town 47 kms. away.

The Ormoc LGU opposed the WPA based on environmental concerns through Resolution No. 2003-111 which the 9^th Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP). However, the NWRB took more than a year to answer the SP resolution and advised Mayor Eric C. Codilla to file a formal complaint.

The LGU sought three extensions of time to file the complaint. It also requested for copies of WPA Nos. 38018-38111 along with supporting documents so it could prepare an intelligent complaint. But instead of granting the LGU’s request for copies of the WPA, the NWRB issued an order on June 6, 2005 denying the opposition.

The NWRB cited sec. 9 of the Water Code’s Implementing Rules and Regulations which grants 60 days to a protestant of a WPA to file the protest. “Worthy to note is the fact that two years had elapsed since the filing thereof and no formal opposition was filed on the subject applications,” the order read.

The LGU filed a motion for reconsideration which the NWRB denied on Oct. 10, 2005 saying the LGU did not present new. The case consequently reached the CA. According to the CA, the NWRB erred in saying that the LGU did not file a timely protest, considering it disregarded Resolution No. 2003-111 of the 9^th SP.

It further criticized NWRB for ignoring the LGU’s request for a copy of the WPA with supporting documents and for that, the “petitioner was denied its fundamental right to due process.” The CA also enjoined NWRB from issuing WPA nos. 38108-38111.

(West Leyte Weekly Express, Jan. 10-16, 2011)

Court annuls NWRB order

I CAME across the decision of the Court of Appeals on the controversial water permit application of Lide Management Corp. (LMC) which the National Water Resources Board having granted the same allows LMC to extract groundwater from the aquifers in Brgys. Salvacion and Sto. Niño, both situated within the domain of the City of Ormoc. 

I always thought something was wrong with the NWRB’s decision to grant the application. More than enough was submitted to challenge the WPA by the City. An excerpt of the opposition passed by the Sangguniang Panglungsod unveils the destructive outcome, viz:

First, over-pumping of the groundwater from the aquifer will adversely affect the level of aquifer in the area and the runaway of Ormoc Airport.

Secondly, if new WPA is accepted, chances are the groundwater of Ormoc will be seriously depleted, endangering the lives of the inhabitants.

Thirdly, to draw another 262 liters per second (lps) would bring the total extraction to about 516 lps, even more than the total demand of the service areas of the City’s Waterworks System for the next 15 years.

The NWRB in its earlier decision on the protest stressed that it was filed out of time since two years had elapsed since the filing of the application way back March 12, 2003 and no formal opposition was filed on the subject WPA. As disclosed by the records of NWRB, it advised the City to file a verified complaint within 10 days from receipt of the order or until Feb. 24, 2005.

Notwithstanding, instead, a series of requests for extension of time to file the complaint was submitted stating its valid and justifiable grounds until an order of NWRB denying the City’s request for extension was issued and consequently gave due course to the WPA of LMC. The board also vehemently denied the motion for reconsideration as stated in its order dated Oct. 10, 2005. Hence, the petition for Certiorari, Prohibition and Mandamus, and the appellate court ruled in favor of the City of Ormoc.

It is noteworthy to say and as evidenced by the intent of the City to contest the extraction that the Court was correct in its finding that there was indeed a grave abuse of discretion committed by NWRB when it denied the City of its right to oppose solely on technicalities.

The former, as pointed out by the appellate court, should have instead evaluated the merits of the protest rather than dismissing on mere procedural lapses. As further stressed out by the court, the City has actually filed an initiatory protest as contained in resolution 2003-111 of the Sangguniang Panglungsod and the denial of it is a blatant violation to due process of law.

Be it noted that when the City filed its motion for reconsideration, it further requested that the city be furnished pertinent documents indispensable for the construction of its intelligent protest which NWRB failed to grant the same. Consequently, the court finds it in violation of the right to access of public records as mandated by the Constitution itself. Upon considering the facts and the law, the court had proclaimed to annul and set aside the assailed order of NWRB.

With this recent development, it bears stressing that I was correct in observing that something was wrong with the order of the Board. The latest update of the case has given away the triumph of the City of regulating the use of water resources in pursuit of preventing any detrimental effect not only to the affected area but to the community as well.

As I understand, this controversy predicated Tax Ordinance No. 96-01 which imposed a specific tax on the extraction of subterranean water within the territorial jurisdiction of Ormoc for commercial and/or industrial purposes, prompting Leyte Industrial Development Estate to question the validity of the same.

This, however was declared invalid, ineffective and unconstitutional by the Department of justice. In a separate occasion, the City enacted Ordinance No. 149, this time imposing a regulatory fee on the extraction of water in Ormoc City. A portion of such ordinance as herein provided requires persons who intend to extract or mine from the City of Ormoc to register with the City Waterworks office for monitoring purposes subject to the payment of fees pursuant to the provisions in section 8b of Tax Ordinance no. 96-01. With that, LMC continuously questioned the same.

A perusal on the pronouncement of the honorable court of appeals reveals that NWRB acted misguidedly on the mandates of the law when it denied the City’s right to due process of law, or may have been ignorant of the law so to speak, by standing its decision on procedural law rather than considering the merits of the complaint of the City.

Jurisprudence dictates that due process consists of substantial due process and procedural due process. Denial of any of the two renders a decision a patent nullity. Furthermore, there is no complete disposition of a case absent a discussion of factual and legal issues.

Upon order of the Court of Appeals contained in the dispositive portion of the decision enjoining the NWRB from issuing the Water Permit Application of LMC, the City of Ormoc has its chances of continuing its battle of protesting the WPA be it on environmental and other reasonable justifications. The clash between the two parties is not yet over and definitely the bout will start all over again and this time, a new set of intelligent protests and defenses will be opened for argument.

(West Leyte Weekly Express; Jan. 10-16, 2011)

SP asks DOTC to dismantle antenna tower at gov't center

by Rommel Quilantang

THE City Council passed a resolution this week requesting the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) to remove the communication antenna tower at the abandoned DOTC building in Anubing cor. Narra Sts. at the Government Center.

Authored by Councilor Jose C. Alfaro Jr., chairman of the committee on public safety, the resolution states that the antenna poses as a traffic hazard considering some of its guy wires are fastened at the sidewalk across Narra St., thereby compromising the safety of motorists that are increasing in number now that the New City Hall is fully operational.

(West Leyte Weekly Express, Jan. 10-16, 2011)

Why the Church is against family planning

(Continued from last issue)

WHAT is infallibility of the pope? According to Catholic dogma, the pope is God's representative on earth and God guides him as he cares for His flock. When the pope formulates a doctrine, he is simply transmitting this dogma on God's behalf. Therefore, the teaching cannot possibly be in error. Thus, the pope's teachings are absolute, final and infallible.

Such an arrangement placed enormous control and power in the hands of the pope over hundreds of millions of Catholics all over the world. The power and control of the Vatican extends not only across the national borders (Italy), it also went even beyond the borders to every side of the globe.

Even though the Pope could no longer control the laity by means of its governance as it had in the Papal States which would later become Italy, the Holy See could exercise control directly by adopting a policy of psychological coercion founded on a new doctrine: papal infallibility.

This was a brilliant concept and it worked for a century. But since its introduction in 1870, the Catholic intelligentsia, among them theologians, historians and bishops, recognized that at some point in the future, this principle would lead to self-destruction of the institution. Times were certain to change and in unpredictable ways.

They were convinced that one day, encumbered by pope’s unchangeable position, the Church would find itself down a blind alley from which there would be no escape and faced with inevitable self-destruction as a result of a grave loss of credibility. These distinguished scholars were strongly opposed to this principle, and as a consequence, many of them left the Church. The blind alley turned out to be the issue of birth control—contraception and abortion.

Since the adoption of the papal encyclical Humanae Vitae (Pope Paul VI, July 25, 1968), there has been a hemorrhage in the Church's credibility. Humanae Vitae ruled out any change of the Church's position on artificial birth control for all time. However, it did allow natural birth control as the only method available to married couples. It must be understood that prior to the encyclical Humanae Vitae, even natural birth control was not allowed by the popes.

The proponents of papal infallibility could not imagine the population explosion of the last half of this century. In the late 20^th century Catholic Scholars and the critics argued: “We find it hard to believe in those who claim moral leadership while implacably resisting any serious solutions to the population problem worldwide. Just as its critics (in 1870) had predicted, institutional self-destruction is now well under way. But, as it stands now, the Church cannot change its position on birth control without undermining all of its dogma. The Vatican is now obliged to protect the fundamental doctrine of papal infallibility at all costs.”

Self-destruction as a result of loss of credibility is underway but the hemorrhage is progressing slowly. Every pope remains hopeful he can turn this around. He is convinced that if he changes the Church's position on birth control and destroys the principle of infallibility, self-destruction will be very swift. We know that this matter was the focus of his attention for several years in the 1960s.
(West Leyte Weekly Express Jan. 10-16, 2011)

Mga NGOs ug kooperatiba sa Ormoc

DILI malalis ang dakung natampo sa mga kooperatiba ug NGO sa panginabuhi ug pagkabutang sa ubay-ubay tang kaigsoonan dili lang dinhi sa pinangga tang dakbayan kun dili sa ubang syudad, munisipyo ug probinsya. Apan yuna pa, dili hinoon ang tanang NGO ug kooperatiba ang malampuson ug sinserong mituman sa ilang tagsa-tagsa ka mission and vision.

Duna hinooy ubang kooperatiba ug NGO nga human sa ilang pagpanumpa sa katungdanan sa ilang opisyales, ug ato usab nabatian nga human makadawat og daku-dakung kantidad sa salapi gikan sa laing NGO sa gawas sa nasud, kalit kining nahilum ug wala na nato hibati-i ang ilang kalihokan.

Si Mr. Lungsuranon gibati’g kasibut paghisgot niini human nako ikahinabi ang pipila ka higala nga matud pa nila dili na sila modali-dali pag-apil og mga NGO ug kooperatiba tungod sa ilang dili maayong salapi. Karon wala na sila makasabut kun buhi o patay na ba ang ilang grupo.

Kita dinhi sa Ormoc atong dakung kalipay nga duna tay kooperatiba nga takus tang ikapasigarbo – ang Ormoc Community Credit Cooperative Inc. (Occci). Ang Occci atong ikatanding sa usa ka gamay nga kahoy nga gialimahan sa makugihong mga kamot sa iyang mga miyembro, gibisibisan sa tumang pagmahal. Kini mitubo ug nanalingsing, ug ang iyang mga sanga miabot na sa ubang munisipyo, syudad ug probinsya.

Sa mga opisyales, board of directors ug mga miyembro sa Occci, si Mr. Lungsoranon mokuyog sa baga-baga nang hut-ong sa katawhan nga nakapahimulos ug nakatilaw sa inyong tabang ug serbisyo sa paghinaut nga ang tuig 2011 mahimong saksi sa padayong pagtubo sa inyong kooperatiba.

Laing kooperatiba nga dili maayong kalimtan paghisgot mao ang CFI nga mitunol sa Ilang mga kamot pagtabang sa mga kaigsoonan tang nanginahanlan. Mga magtutudlo, mga barangay kapitan ug konsehales ug ubang mga empleyado pribado ug sa gobyerno, mga negosyante, ila usab nga mga kliyente sa CFI. To all CFI officials, board of directors and members, more power.

Si Mr. Lungsoranon manghinaut nga niining atong paghisgot sa kalampusan nga nakab-ut sa Occci ug CFI mahimo kining inspirasyon ug hagit sa ubang mga opisyal ug miyembro sa ubang kooperatiba nga mora’g nahikatulog sa ilang gihuptan nga kaakohan. Ato silang hangyoon pag-double time aron dili sila hibiyaan ning atong biyahe sa kauswagan.

Karon, atong isunod paghisgot ang mga NGO. Si Mr. Lungsoranon mangayo’g pasaylo daan nga tingali’g nasayop ako nga dinhi sa Ormoc wala pay NGO nga nakahimo og dako-dakong kalihokan nga napahimuslan sa ubay-ubay tang kaigsoon. Duna tay nabatian nga pipila ning maong mga NGO nakadawat na’g minilyong gahin gikan sa funding agency sa gawas. Hain kini padulong? Walay usa kanato ang nasayud. Mao ray klaro niini ang ilang mga opisyal. Ang gigamitan sa kuwarta nga ilang nadawat hanap-hanap. Matud pa sa akong higala ang mga opisyal visible, ang proyekto invisible. He he he.

Dugang kasayuran nga atong nadawat nga dunay opisyal sa NGO nga dako na’g yuta sa bukid, gipabuhatan na’g swimming pool, nindot na’g sakyanan, apan ang iyang mga miyembro baktas-baktas lang gihapon. Pastilan, kun kining maong mga opisyal maoy magdaghan, diyutay ra.

Hangtod sa sunod semana…salamat.
(West Leyte Weekly Express Jan. 10-16, 2011 issue)

Nakakita og katapat

Dear Ate Ruby,

Ako si Rico, minyo ug dunay liwat. Naa koy asawa ug anak apan naa koy naibgan nga laing babaye. Ganahan kaayo ko ka niya kay maayo siya muatiman sa iyang pamilya. Ubay-ubay na pod iyang anak pero na-maintain man gihapon niya ang iyang figure.

Taud-taud na nga ganahan ko ka niya ug karon makaingon ko nga na-in love na gyud ko kay mingawon naman ko kung dili ko makakita sa iya. Wala man hinuon nako biyai akong pamilya kay sikreto ra man ning akong pagkagusto sa iya. Okey sad ang iyang treatment ka nako.

Lambing kaayo siya sa iyang inistoryahan ug linihukan mao nga usahay ma-imagine nako nga nag-uban mi nga kami rang duha. Kung naa gani siyay ipamarayeg sa ako nga botang o duna siyay isugo, musugot dayon ko kay ganahan lage ko nga silbihan siya ug mura’g kalami gyud niya panggaon. Magkasumpaki man gyud mi sa rason ug sa ubang botang sa akong asawa pero sa kini nga bayhana mura’g mapildi gyud ko sa rason pirmi. Mao nga nakaingon ko nga nakakita ko’g katapat kay bisa’g maglagot ko ka niya dili man ko musupak. Mao nga mangeta na lang ko’g paagi nga mapatumanan gyud nako siya.

Unsa man, padayunon pa ba ni nakong pakigsood ani nga bayhana? Dili ko gusto mawala siya sa akong kinabuhi. Okey na nako nga naa siya diha pero ang problema lage kay mura’g nagselos na akong asawa. Tambagi daw ko be.                                                                                                                   Rico

Dear Rico,

Dili man problema ang imong sitwasyon. Mubo ra gyud akong ikasulti sa imo. Naa man kay asawa unya kini pod nga babaye kaha naa may pamilya. Ayaw na himui’g komplikado pa. Kanang imong pagkagusto sa iyaha, ipusa na lang na diha kanimo labi na karon nga magselos naman kaha nang imong asawa. Tengali pod intawon og mabugnuan ni nga babaye sa imong asawa sa walay hinungdan.

Medyo naglibog lang ko sa imong geingon nga mangeta ka’g paagi nga mapatumanan siya sa iyang gusto. Ngano man diay, naa na siyay gipangayo sa imo nga mga botang? Kung mga pamalihog lang nga ginagmay okey ra siguro pero kining imong geingon mura’g dako-dako na gyud ni nga botang.

Ganahan ka sa iya kay tengali ma-challenge ka sa iyang reasoning power kay nakakita ka man lage kaha og katapat kay ang imong asawa madala ra man sab tengali nimo sa hurat. In love sab siguro kaayo sa imo ang imong asawa mao nga siya ang angay pagbalingan nimo og pansin.

Hinaot naklaro na gamay ang imong huna-huna. Kung unsa man nang imong gibati ana nga babaye, buhi-i na kay wala kay padulgan ana. Sa atong mga tigbasa, giawhag mo nako sa pagpadala sa inyong mga suliran ginagmay man o dinagko, pangetaan na nato og kasulbaran. I-text ko sa 0948-700-2557 o i-email sa espina_ruby@yahoo.com.

(West Leyte Weekly Express Jan. 10-16, 2011 issue)