A respite from the national canvass spectacle

The May 9 death of a two-month old baby dugong in Tigbauan, Iloilo, served as a timely respite this week from the boredom and impatience of Western Visayas folk as they watched the ongoing congressional canvass of votes for president and vice president and the interminable attempts at dramatics by some lawmakers.

The baby dugong, a vanishing sea mammal, was found dead at the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) in Tigbauan, Iloilo. Its death was tentatively diagnosed to have been caused by acute gastro-enteritis.

Arlene Dalawis, chairman of the Protected Area for Wildlife Conservation Zone Management Council I, said they are now waiting for the results of laboratory tests to determine the exact cause of its death.

Regional DENR executive director Vicente Paraga advised that the remains of the dugong be brought to the DENR regional office.

The drama started last April 24 when the fisherfolk of Koskyn, Jordan, Guimaras, found the extended baby dugong. It was turned over to marine biologists of the SEAFDEC Mariculture Park in Igong, Nueva Valencia.

It was only on May 2 when Pawikan Conservation Park-Protected and Wildlife Bureau (PCPPANB) biologist Nilo Ramoso and veterinarian Rizza Salinas helped transfer the sea mammal to the SEAFDEC Tigbauan Center.

Initially, the baby dugong even gained an additional 1.75 kilograms, reaching 18.50 kgs.

Dalawis said that during its stay at the Mariculture Park in Guimaras, the dugong manifested weakness in one flipper after one week. It was then fed with Bonna supplemented with seagrass.

Later, Dr. Mona Liza Jamerlan, a volunteer veterinarian, changed the milk to Enfagrow, which is lactose-free, on May 8. But the dugong refused to take the food. Then they observed its right flipper hardly moved. They also learned that both its two kidneys were swollen.

Dalawis admitted that the marine biologists lack the needed information on how to take care of the sea mammal, an endangered species.

Actually, this was the second dugong recovered off Panay. The first was in Antique. The dugong, then named Klong-Klong, did not survive long.

There are only a few of the endangered species left. An aerial survey in 1992 showed that there was just barely 20 sea cows in northern Palawan. The same is the case in Davao.

Several sea cows, however, have been spotted in Surigao del Sur, Davao Oriental, General Santos City, Isabela, Iloilo, Antique and Guimaras.

At any rate, it was a welcome piece of news that served to distract Western Visayas folk from the boredom of watching the congressional proceedings.

Trenas Orders Probe Of Medicine Purchases

Re-elected Mayor Jerry Trenas of Iloilo City ordered city legal officer Edgardo Gil this week to investigate the complaints of barangay captains that Barangay Secretariat chief Wenifredo Lagura facilitated the purchase from a local supplier of some P1.8 million worth of medicines from the P10,000 allotment per barangay from the Local Government Services Equalization Fund (LGSEF).

Trenas disclosed that district presidents of the Association of Barangay Captains brought the issue to his attention and met with city administrator Melchor Tan.

On television, several barangay captains claimed that Lagura presented them copies of barangay resolutions, purchase orders, requests for obligation, disbursement vouchers and notice to bidders which they claimed to be suspicious.

Trenas said he wants to probe this particular deal and does not want anyone to jeopardize whatever gains his administration has made in the last three years.

The city mayor said local government units have the prerogative and discretion on what to do with their shares of LGSEF funds.

Barangay captain Bobby Divinagracia of Barangay San Agustin said city budget officer Linda Atinado told him the amount was deposited in the Land Bank of the Philippines credited to the barangays.

The barangay officials also contended that it was Lagura who decided what medicines should be purchased by the barangays.

Many of the barangay officials claimed that they could have used their P10,000 for development projects instead of medicines.

Trenas incidentally romped off with a majority of over 100,000 votes against challenger Vice Mayor Victor Facultad.

A Major Legal Battle

The takeover by farmer-beneficiaries (FBs) of the posh Active Group of Companies’ 40-hectare subdivision led to the filing of two cases heralding a major legal battle.

The FBs, through legal counsel Pedro Diamante, filed two criminal charges against those who barred them from entering the premises of the Eroreco lot.

Named respondents in the first case for violation of PD 583 in relation to PD 815 were Jose Ramon Soliven of the Active Group; lawyer Adoniram Pamplona, counsel for AGC; Eduardo Danico, Ludovico de la Torre, Emmanuel Piansay, Rogel Fulgado, Victor Jagoria, Anthony Abeles, Marlon Jurilla, Gremie Penafiel, Mario Arevalo, Sunny Vardida and Andy Silva, all from the Pax Security Agency.

The second involved robbery in band. This resulted from the confiscation of billboards and streamers the FBs installed and hung in the area Friday. Named in the charge sheet were Soliven, De la Torre and the security guards.

Diamante also impleaded Judge Alfredo Hilario of the MTC.

Diamante, in a press conference last Monday, accused Active of obstructing justice. He added that the decision was already final and executory, hence the FBs are ready to exhaust all legal means to deter Active’s foolishness.

The DAR awarded to the FBs the 48-hectare lot by virtue of PD 27 of then President Ferdinand Marcos and affirmed later through Executive Order 228 of former President Corazon Aquino.

In 1995, the area was dragged into a controversy when AGC allegedly acquired it from the Philippine National Bank under what Diamante claimed was a questionable transaction.

AGC, however, developed the land in preparation for making it a center of business and development or "a city within a city."

In 2001, the Department of Agrarian Reform Adjudication Board (DARAB) ordered AGC to cease and desist from undertaking developments in the area.

That same year, Judge Demosthenes Magallanes of the Regional Trial Court Branch 45 was upheld by the Court of Appeals.

Tension prevailed over the area. Bacolodnons are watching the developments.

Workers Bar Hospital Reopening

It was a puzzling spectacle. Former employees of the Lopez District Farmers Hospital Inc. in Sagay City barred the entry of the new management last Monday. They formed a human barricade which included children.

The hospital is to be managed and operated as a satellite of the Bacolod Our Lady of Mercy Hospital.

LDFHI is leasing the hospital at P1 a year, according to Dr. Patrio Tan, Our Lady of Mercy Hospital director.

Fifty-three employees of the former hospital had protested the closure and had filed a labor suit against the former management.

The workers had been paid 15 days per year of service by the old management. The workers, however, appealed the decision. The workers are determined not to allow the new management to reopen the hospital until their appeal is acted upon.

In short, the residents of northern Negros and indigent patients of Philhealth will remain deprived of hospital care until the case is settled.