Tapatan sa ARMM with DepEd-ARMM

Dr. John Magno, ARMM's DepEd secretary, and Marjuni Maddi, DepEd-ARMM assistant secretary for academics, answered queries from the media in a press conference dubbed "Tapatan sa ARMM" on Tuesday, October 11, 2016 at the region's seat in Cotabato City.
While the department has worked on its database management system, which contains data on students, teachers, and classrooms and school buildings, Sec. Magno said "There are still many things to work with."
Sec. Magno announced that the department has a House-approved P12 billion budget for 2017. 96% of the budget will be allocated for Personnel Services, and the remaining four percent will be allocated for the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses of all schools and schools division across the region.
With 29,992 plantilla positions across the ARMM, including 26,000 teaching force, the region still needs more than 1,400 teachers, ASec. Maddi noted.
The ARMM is composed of nine schools divisions namely, Maguindanao I and II, Marawi City, Lanao Sur I and II, Lamitan City, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi. (Bureau of Public Information)

Dismissed Lanao Sur mayor seeks justice over controversial report

   By: Dick cano

“ I was dismayed and humiliated  and want to seek justice  over the reports made by some irresponsible media”, said dismissed Balabagan Mayor Dr. Edna Ogka Benito.

Mayor  Benito’s reactions made  after she reads the report that Ombudsman  has cancelled her  eligibility, forfeiture of her retirement benefits  and perpetual disqualification from holding office.

She said after reading the report, “ I was able to talk to ABS-CBN’s  Carolyn Bonquin who writes the report and said she gets the details from the Ombudsman, but Benito said there were no statements of such in the Ombudsman’s order  however , the order stated only “accessories penalties” without specifying.

She said she might sue who are behind this character assassination for such baseless and irresponsible reports that brought mental anguish.

She also lashed out the Ombudsman for not giving her fair treatment when according to mayor Benito without reading her position letter, the Ombudsman issued immediately the dismissal order with the implementation made issued by the  Department of Interior and Local government (DILG).

she immediately stepped down and did not seek  the rule of condonation of Aguinaldo doctrine  which says, public officials who have administrative  cases and convicted but  when elected and won in the election, those  cases will be forgotten and continue with their new mandate.

Benito added that the irresponsible report made a big effect in her being which according to her she cannot afford to give up her profession as doctor in exchange for the two months’ salary of the complainant Sarahlyn Masbod, Municipal budget officer. “ I did not acquire this profession from my political practices”, Benito said.

She as of this writing, her case is now with  the court of appeals pending for “petition  for review” and the incumbent mayor is now the vice mayor and it happened that Javer benito is her son.

The controversial news report stemmed after the annulment proclamation of former Mayor Hadji Amer Sampiano last December 2014  and as second vote she assumed as the mayor of Balabangan town.

“I required all the employees to submit their original appointment ad  I required her to produce a copy of her appointment as municipal budget officer , which she did not show credible proof as such appointment since the copy was not duly authenticated or certified  by competent authority, Benito said.

She said the complainant instead has filed vacation leave and sick leave through mails at the post office until Benito did not act o her sick leave because she was already absence without leave (AWOL) and she was dropped from the roll and was affirmed through a memorandum by the sagguniang bayan through a resolution number No.41.

“My only hope is for the court of appeals to review my case and also urge the media to be responsible for the news story because we have our dignity and deserve respect because of our credibility which we reap for years and will only destroy by irresponsible and baseless report, here I was a victim of character assassination”, Ogka said.

Benito is seeking justice for this and said “it will kill me and finish my political career because of alleged penalty accessories which was not specified in the Ombudsman decision and that I can no longer run even in the position of  barangay kagawad”.

“I need justice and I am planning to sue those people who are behind this political harassment. The Ombudsman’s order states “Wherefore, ON THE FOREGOING, the Office finds respondent EDNA V. OGKA –BENITO, Municipal Mayor of Balabagan, Lanao del Sur, Guilty of the administrative offense  of Grave Misconduct and is meted with penalty of  DISMISSAL from “Service with all its accessory penalties”.

Lanao Sur mayor, vice mayor deny as drug lord, pusher

 MARIZ REVALES

                           

Bacolod-Kalawi, Lanao del Sur - Father and son tandem and local executives of this town  vehemently denied the allegations that they are involved in the drug trade. The political clan of the Dipatuan are known to be drug busters even before President Duterte elected and declared war against illegal drugs.  

Former Mayor Jaffar Dipatuan ,now the concurrent Vice mayor told GMANews.TV  said  the report sent to Malacanang that he is drug lord with only “ concern citizen as signatory is baseless  and aim  to destroy our credibility as local executives”.

He said no one will believe it, since everybody in their town knew that even before   President Rodrigo Duterte became president and declared war against illegal drugs, we already implemented against illegal drugs.

Former  mayor Dipatuan,  in 2007 when he became the mayor, he sent more than  fifty (50)  drug dependents to provincial jail and also busted criminal activities  such as carnapping.

In his part, Mayor Moihamin Dipatuan, the son had also categorically denied the allegations that he is drug pusher and said that it is a handiwork of their political opponents which up to now cannot accept defeat and will not cooperate to the development of their municipality.

He said, they are seriously supporting   the campaign and program of President Duterte,  “  in Bacolod-Kalawi since we implemented Oplan Tokhang, there are  180 drug dependents who surrendered and for them to monitor we have undergone Zumba session every Sunday and through this drug dependents feel that they are still part of our community  ,” Dipatuan said.

Chairman of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) Saipoden Polao also disclosed that the cowardice reports against the Dipatuan is baseless and it not true since he knew the Dipatuans personally.

Mayor Dipatuan said P/insp. Sainodin Benasing, Chief of Police continued Oplan Tokhang and Double barrel in the different barangays with different barangay captains with positive results.

The Dipatuans assured the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte that they will be supportive of his campaign against illegal drugs,  “our country is very lucky having this kind of President and we will implements his directive in Davao City during our meeting that we have to continue the war against illegal drugs”.

He said, they were challenged are encourage to do more in improving the lives of their constituents and provide more development of their town.

Borja wants to lower power rate for the benefit of oppressed, overburdened power consumers

By PHIL PA-ALAN

ILIGAN CITY – Congressional Candidate Jojo Borja of the Lone District of Iligan recently disclosed that the current power rate being charged by local power companies is over P9 per kilowatt hour and may increase to P18 per kilowatt hour in due time if remained unabated.  He said power companies are charging higher power rate more than they are supposed to charge power consumers.  He said the power consumers should be entitled to 50% of the overpriced power rate and must be returned to them as refund for over payment of power bills.

Congressional Candidate Borja said if we have lower power rate, more people will be encouraged to establish varied businesses that would create more jobs, and generate more income for the people.  He said if we have income, we may even provide free hospitalization for patients, especially the less fortunate ones because we have money.  He said many people are jobless because it is difficult to find jobs.  He said we should eliminate  over priced power rate to encourage businesses, create more jobs and generate more income for the people.  He said he would concentrate in keeping the power rate at an affordable and low level for the benefit of the people.

Borja, who is in the business of electricity, said corruption in government is rampant and he would fight corruption in government especially in the energy sector.

Borja said he wants to lower the power rate by shouting the truth.  He said the people may be deprived of the privilege to know the truth on the latest developments in the power area as the right to be informed is guaranteed by the Philippine Constitution. .  He said he can not do this alone as he needs the support of the people to strengthen his fight against higher power rates.  He said by supporting him as congressional candidate, a greater voice will be heard in Congress and in all four corners of the country once he sits as Congressman in the House of Representatives.

Borja said higher power rate creates nervousness and stress among the power consumers.  He said more people died of nervousness and stress than the number of people who died due to Typhoon Sendong.

Iligan City has the highest power rate throughout the country with P9.56 per kilowatt hour. Davao City, P7.50/kwh; General Santos City, 7.65/kwh; Cagayan de Oro City, 8.24/kwh; Pagadian, 7.90/kwh and Manila, over P8/kwh.

Borja said he could be of great help in reducing the power rate as he is fully armed with legal documents seeking a reasonable, affordable and lower power rate in Mindanao and elsewhere in the country.  He said  these documentary evidences prove that the power rate being charged the power consumers are overpriced and more than the price the power consumers are supposed to pay for their power bills.  He said he had been fighting for a just, reasonable and lower power rate for the past four (4) years travelling to Manila almost twice a week to follow up and  attend hearings at the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) compound and spend his own personal money.  He said just recently he paid his legal counsel an amount of over half a million pesos (P691,000.00) to ensure that the interest of the power consumers are justly promoted and protected in the hearings.  He said he has spent millions of pesos in following up cases filed with the ERC against the Manila Electric Company (Meralco), which has bloated and overpriced its power rate.  He said Meralco has overpriced the purchase of its equipment and included items which should not be included in the computation of the power rate by kilowatt hour.  He said Meralco has charged power consumers more than double the amount they are supposed to pay.  He said he will continue the fight for a lower power rate for the benefit of the oppressed and overburdened power consumers.

Borja said he has filed fifteen (15) cases against Meralco before the ERC to bring justice to the struggles of power consumers.  He said his efforts are producing good results.  He said that we are about to reach the ‘finish line’ of our fight for justice.

Borja said the ERC has issued an order dated February 29, 2016 directing the Meralco to submit a report on its compliance to the ERC Order dated July 6, 2011, on or before March 31, 2016..  

ERC Order dated July 6, 2011 directs the Meralco to adhere to certain procedures for the asset inventory and true up adjustment of its Regulatory Asset Base (RAB), after the Commission approved Meralco’s Annual Revenue Requirement (ARR) and Performance Incentive Scheme (PIS) for the Third Regulatory Period, in its Decision (with Final Determination) dated June 6, 2011.

Under Section 4.17.6 of the aforementioned Final Determination, the Commission indicated that the resolution is subject to review and true up mechanism that will be determined in the Fourth Regulatory Period.

ERC Case No. 2010-069 RC relates to the application of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) for approval of the Annual Revenue Requirement ad Performance Incentive Scheme for the Third Regulatory Period (2011-2015) in accordance with the provisions of the rules for setting the distribution wheeling rates (RDWR) as amended.

The ERC Order was signed by JOSE VICENTE B. SALAZAR, Chairman and CEO of the Commission.