LOVE IS BUTA

By: Carine Era Mozo Asutilla

Boy: Nakakita na ka’g bangaw?
kanang bangaw sa kagabhion?
Nakakita na ka’g uwak?
kanang uwak nga puti bitaw?
Nakakita na ka’g uwan?
kanang uwan nga kolor purple?
Nakakita na ka’g ulmigas?
Kanang ulmigas mukao’g elepante?
Kanang lumod nga mu-boogie?
O kaha wati...
nga mukao’g puthaw?
Sure ko wa’ pa!
Pero kung imo kong higugmaon gang...
Tanang wa pa nimo makit-i
Imong makit-an.
Girl: Nakakita na kog bangaw
Apan sa adlawan.
Nakakita na ko’g uwak
Apan itom siya.
Nakakita na ko’g uwan
Apan wa'y kolor.
Nakakita na ko’g ulmigas
Apan di mukao’g elepante.
Nganong mangita man ko’g wa?
Ug basin nakalimot ka dong...
Ang gugma buta.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/04/05/09/gang-members-body-dumped-cebu-cemetery

Gang member's body dumped in Cebu cemetery

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 04/05/2009 7:31 PM

An alleged gang member was killed and dumped in a cemetery in Talisay City, Cebu province, Saturday morning.

Talisay City police said the victim, at least 20-years-old and had a gang tattoo, was dumped by his killers at the Evergreen Cemetery in Barangay San Roque.

Village watchman Renante Rabaya told police that joggers called his attention around 6:25 a.m. after spotting what seems to be a man's body stuffed in a garbage bag.

Police initially said the victim was a member of the Alpha Kappa Rho (AKRHO) fraternity because of a tattoo on his right hand.

Richard Buscayno, the fraternity's president in Cebu, however, said he did not recognize the victim. He said the man could have been a member of a local gang, whose members are known for wearing silver accessories.

The victim, who remained unidentified by police, was also wearing a red sweat shirt and black short pants.

Crime scene investigators said the victim died of multiple gunshot wounds.

Police have yet to determine the motive for the killing. -- report from Carine Asutilla, ABS-CBN Cebu

as of 04/05/2009 7:32 PM

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/03/30/09/deadline-filing-claims-vs-legacy-extended%20%20

(Update) Deadline for filing claims vs Legacy extended

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 03/30/2009 3:47 PM

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has extended the deadline for plan holders of bankrupt Legacy Group's 3 pre-need firms to file their claims to April 15.

The SEC earlier set the deadline of March 31 for the clients to file their claimes against Legacy Consolidated Plans, Scholarship Plan Philippines Inc., and All-Asia Plans Inc.

The corporate regulator also reminded planholders to bring with them necessary documents like certificate of full payment, copy of the pre-need contract, and official receipts when filing for claims.

Cebu

Meantime, Legacy clients continue to flock to the SEC office in Cebu City. For more than two months, officers of the SEC branch has received 452 complaints from plan holders and 75 from investors who availed Legacy’s double-your-money scheme.

Among them were couple Christopher and Zenaida Ebo who purchased two educational plans and one P50,000-worth post-graduate tuition fee coverage from Scholarship Plan Philippines Incorporated. While their eldest daughter, who graduated with a nursing degree in 2007, has benefited from the plan, their sons have not.

She said that the pre-need company covered the first semester of her first son's industrial engineering fees, but the company kept asking them to wait for confirmation when they tried to avail again for their son’s second semester tuition fee. The second son was not able to start his post graduate studies at all.

Merle Cunanan, SEC director for Cebu office, said that they also accept complaints against Legacy through mail from those who could not not personally file them.

The complaint form could be downloaded from the SEC website, www.sec.gov.ph. She said that the complaint should be notarized also. A filing fee of P530 for each investor-complainant is required. - with ABS-CBN Business and Carine M. Asutilla, ABS-CBN News Central Visayas

as of 03/30/2009 9:10 PM

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/03/20/09/negros-rights-group-seeks-chr-help-exhumed-farmers

Negros rights group seeks CHR help on exhumed farmers

By CARINE M. ASUTILLA, ABS-CBN News Central Visayas | 03/20/2009 8:57 PM

A human rights group in Central Visayas is seeking the help of the regional Commission on Human Rights in investigating the death of two farmers whose corpses were found buried in Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental.

KARAPATAN-Central Visayas and the Promotional Church of People's Response, who conducted fact-finding investigations, identified the victims as Ronel Raguing and Junito Quirante, both of whom went missing in February this year.

Alexandra Quirante, Junito's wife, said that her husband had left their house to barter for food with some relatives in a neighboring barangay, but did not come home. Virginia Raguing, Ronel's mother, meanwhile, said she only realized that her son was gone when a relative came looking for him.

KARAPATAN and the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7) later dug up the victims' bodies, which were found wrapped in garbage bags, in a remote area in Sta. Catalina on March 9.

In the initial autopsy report from NBI-7, the victims' hands and feet were tied while their bodies bore several stab wounds.

Dennis Abarrientos of KARAPATAN claimed that the 79th Infantry Battalion was behind the killings. He said both victims were suspected of being members of a rebel group and were arrested by the military in January.

as of 03/20/2009 8:58 PM

kinsay naay kaila couple nga ni-apply as condom testers? pls pm me. :) thanks po. :)

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/03/19/09/alleged-npa-leader-celebrates-45th-birthday-cebu-jail

Alleged NPA leader celebrates 45th birthday in Cebu jail

By CARINE M. ASUTILLA, ABS-CBN Central Visayas | 03/19/2009 8:09 PM

Political detainee and suspected New People's Army (NPA) leader Ramon Patriarca celebrated his 45th birthday at Danao City Jail in Cebu Tuesday, where he was visited by militant leaders and human rights advocates.

Patriarca's sister, Belen Cabujat, flew in from Manila Friday last week so she could visit him in jail for the first time. She said she was worried about Patriarca's health. She said Patriarca had lost a lot of weight and was complaining about the jail's ventilation.

Paul Rodriguez, president of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan in Central Visayas, also visited Patriarca. Rodriguez said that he and Patriarca had been part of BAYAN since the 1980s.

Rodriguez recently filed a petition for habeas data which designed to protect an individual's right to protect information about himself at the Cebu City Regional Trial Court (RTC) against the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Central Command. He said he found out that his name was included in the military's Order of Battle. He said his name may have been included in the list because he had voiced his opinions as BAYAN president during the Hello Garci scandal in 2005.

Rodriguez asked the court to remove his name from the Army's list of targets, which also includes Patriarca's name.

Chief Inspector Waldemar Villanueva, Danao City jail warden, said that they allowed Patriarca’s visitors to take part in Patriarca's birthday celebrations inside the jail, which included a special mass celebrated for him. However, only five visitors at a time were allowed to see Patriarca.

Villanueva said they had also beefed up security, adding 15 police since Patriarca was detained in the said jail.

Villanueva, however, did not allow members of media to enter the jail and Patriarca also reportedly refused to be interviewed. His supporters said Patriarca only wished that he will be freed along with other political detainees.

Patriarca, alleged to be the head of the finance and research department of the NPA, was arrested February 5 in Barangay Casili in Consolacion town in a joint operation by the Armed Forces’ Central Command and the Philippine National Police (PNP) after Danao City RTC Judge Edito Enemecio issued a warrant for his arrest on charges of rebellion.

Patriarca had allegedly used several aliases and held various high-ranking positions in the NPA's Komiteng Rehiyonal Sentral Bisayas as deputy secretary, finance officer, head of taxation and secretary while in Negros.

Militant and human rights groups, however, have condemned the arrest, saying it constituted illegal detention. They also allege that Patriarca had been tortured during interrogation by unidentified armed men.

as of 03/19/2009 8:09 PM

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/03/19/09/groups-oppose-power-rate-hike-erc-hearing-cebu

Groups oppose power rate hike in ERC hearing in Cebu

By CARINE M. ASUTILLA, ABS-CBN News Central Visayas | 03/19/2009 11:18 PM

Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) lead a labor and other activist groups for a protest Thursday during the expository hearing on National Power Corporation’s (NPC) power rate increase presided by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).

Representatives from the NPC went out from the hearing to face the protesters. Bong Mendiola, a representative from NPC, explained that their application for the P1.14 increase per kilowatt hour is intended to operate a more expensive plant.

“The load of Visayas as of now, medyo tight ang power situation natin, ibig sabihin ‘yong konsumo malapit ng masagad ‘yong planta naming, ‘yong available capacity namin,” said Mendiola.

Mendiola said that the application was filed last 2007 but was denied. He said that they just revived the application in partnership with Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation. Mendiola also added that their last increase was implemented in 2004 when P0.20 was approved.

Aaron Pedrosa, Sanlakas spokesperson, said that Mendiola admitted to them that the increase in power rate is part of their privatization scheme to attract investors to buy NPC. He said that if investors will buy the NPC with high rates already implemented, it will be easier for investors to get back their investments.

“Why would they say that they wanted to give better service to consumers when they are already in privatization mode? They are just making electricity not accessible to the masses,” he said.

Lito Vasquez of FDC-Cebu said that 70 percent of the NPC’s asset is already privatized. He said that based on Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001, the investor who will buy NPC is not obliged to pay the liabilities or debts of the NPC.

As of February 2009, PSALM reported that NPC has $5.9 billion debt. The debt will be assumed by PSALM before NPC will be sold to private investors. But Vasquez said that it will still be the taxpayers who will have to pay the debts while at the same time they would suffer also from a high power rate.

Different representatives from the sectors of consumer, industrial, church and power distributor attended the expository hearing. Some of them took the chance to submit their position papers opposing the power hike increase.

Elinore Cabanilla from the Social Action Center of Diocese in Bacolod said that their diocese feels that the increase of power rate in the Visayas is too much for the consumers, given that the increase in Luzon and in Mindanao is less compared to Visayas. Luzon has P0.46 while Mindanao has an increase of P0.71.

Cabanilla said that in their cathedral, they consume more than P50,000 worth of electricity in a month and if the increase will be implemented, they will have to pay more than that. She said the church might not be able to handle it. She said that the diocese of Bacolod has 69 parishes.

She said that their concern mostly is for their parishioners who are already affected by the global financial crisis. She said that if the increase in power rate will be implemented, sooner or later, prices of basic commodities will also rise.

Cabanilla also expressed her disappointment with the dioceses in other provinces, particularly in Cebu for not sending a representative on the hearing. Cabanilla said that the church should take a stand for its parishioners. Cabanilla believes that it is not timely to implement a hike in power while the country is suffering from financial crisis.

Porferio Montesclaros of MEPZCEM Chamber Incorporated from the industrial sector meanwhile has also submitted its opposition. He said that the industrial sector is intensely opposing the increase since most of their companies are greatly affected by the global financial crisis. He said that most of the companies are not operating fully just to cut production costs.

Montesclaros said that if the increase will be approved, they will suffer. He said that with the present rate of power in Cebu, one company under MEPZ normally has an electric bill amounting to more or less P10 million per month. With the current economic situation, a company could hardly pay the amount, even more if the increase will be implemented.

ERC Commissioner Raul Tan meanwhile said that on Friday, PSALM and NPC will present its respective evidence on the need to increase the power rate.

“We will make sure that the consumers will win this, because the most expensive electricity is having no electricity at all,” said Tan.

as of 03/19/2009 11:30 PM

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/03/18/09/pdic-cebu-giving-forms-claims-closed-banks

PDIC in Cebu giving forms for claims in closed bank

By CARINE M. ASUTILLA, ABS-CBN News Central Visayas | 03/19/2009 12:23 AM

The Philippine Deposits Insurance Corporation started distributing claim forms for savings and time depositors with more than P100,000 deposits Wednesday.

78-year old Aguido Alimpos from Compostela town in Cebu was among the hundreds who came to get their forms with priority numbers at Philippine Countryside Rural Bank (PCRB) Lilo-an Branch.

Alimpos has over a hundred thousand pesos deposit. He said that he first deposited the amount in a rural bank in Compostela but the rural bank closed a few years ago. He then decided to transfer it at PCRB but after a couple of years, the bank closed along with the other rural banks under the Legacy Group of Companies.

I was of course upset when the bank closed. Somehow I felt that this money is cursed (he laughs). This money comes from the lands of our parents that we sold about a decade ago,” said Alimpos.

But Alimpos is assured that he will get his full amount since PDIC has insurance on deposits up to P250,000, unlike Engineer Epifanio Jordan who has a deposit worth P335,000.

“I had that amount when I retired from work. I’m just really bothered whether I can get all my money back knowing that PDIC will only give P250,000 insurance,” said Jordan.

PDIC said that as of the moment Jordan will get only the insured P250,000 of his deposits. The remaining P105,000 will only be given back to him after the bank’s asset will be liquidated. PDIC however, cannot give a timeline as to when the liquidation will be over.

For now, PDIC reminds depositors to bring photocopies of their two valid identification cards and passbooks to get their claim forms. They also asked the depositors to only transact with authorized PDIC personnel.

They also clarified that there is no payment in processing for claims.

The distribution of forms would last until April 3. The payment of the insurance would reportedly start on March 23.

as of 03/19/2009 12:25 AM

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/03/17/09/labor-complaint-forces-closure-john-os-golf-course

Labor complaint forces closure of John O's golf course

By JOHN DX LAPID, ABS-CBN Central Visayas | 03/17/2009 3:25 PM

Former senator John Henry Osmeñas golf course in Negros Oriental has shut down operations pending a labor complaint filed by its employees over alleged non-payment of their salaries since December.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Negros Oriental conducted inspections at the Pamplona Plantation Golf and Country Club for possible labor law violations after 24 employees complained they were not given their salaries for the last four months.

Labor Employment Officer Kenric Villaluz said the management refused to give the documents the team needed for the inspection.

Villaluz, who took the workers' statements, found that in addition to not being paid, the employees were not given the right amount of salary. He said they were just given P150 a day, without holiday and 13th-month pay.

Results of the inspection will be sent to DOLE Central Visayas for further investigation, where Osmeña will have to answer the workers' complaints.

Even if the golf course was closed, employees still hope that it will be back to operations soon, since, they said, it is their only livelihood.

as of 03/17/2009 3:26 PM