Negros Occidental gov’t implements austerity measures

While the controversy is still ongoing on whether local government units would agree to have their Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) shares slashed, Negros Occidental Gov. Joseph Marañon went ahead with cost-cutting measures in the various departments and divisions of the provincial government.

A wise move. And decisive. The first is cutting down on power and gasoline expenses by 10 to 20 percent. The department heads gave their nod to the move to adopt austerity measures.

Nothing really spectacular. Just plain common sense. The first order of the day is putting off unnecessary lights and restricting the use of electric stoves, microwave ovens and other electrical appliances.

Then there’s another move — putting off the airconditioning units during breaks and off-hours.

Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia, however, said he is waiting for the final draft of the measures to be adopted. The city accountant, treasurer and budget officers have been tasked to draft them.

In short, Leonardia stressed that the implementation of belt-tightening measures preceded the Malacañang declaration of a fiscal crisis.

"We have our own fiscal crisis," he said.

More importantly though, Marañon also sought a review and evaluation of utility workers hired as "casuals." He pointed out that some of them end up duplicating the functions of regular workers.

There was an addendum: Conserve or minimize the use of fuel with drivers restricted from bringing the vehicles home.

More importantly, the travel of government officials and department heads will be regulated and minimized, and personnel going to different cities and towns have to coordinate and pool vehicles.

The city government, however, has yet to adopt measures aimed at cutting down the number of casual employees. In the past, it was discovered that many of these casual hires ended up as "15-31" employees. In short, casual employment has been resorted to as patronage instead of the acute need for manpower.

Napocor’ 98-cent hike bucked

Rep. Monico Puentevella (Bacolod City) has a point. He is asking the National Power Corp. to hold off the 98-centavo power hike granted it pending the result of a congressional inquiry into it.

Puentevella picked up the public clamor against the additional hike, pointing out that it caught everybody by surprise. He stressed that there had been no prior hearing on the increase. Even members of Congress were caught off-guard by it, he pointed out.

The provincial board was also set to file a resolution yesterday opposing the ERC approval of the power rate hike.

Gov. Marañon said the provincial board members are opposing the power rate hike because it will affect the low-income group.

The opposition to the Napocor move gained intensity with the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan tagging it as unjust and oppressive to the public.

In a barbed comment, Levy Gelle, Bayan spokeswoman, said the government has become the mouthpiece of power industry profiteers rather than the defender of the interest of electric consumers and the public.

Bayan-Negros also claimed that aside from the increase in generation charge, there are also pending additional charges like the Tax Recovery Charge, the ICERA and the new charges under the "universal charges" which include the Napocor’s stranded debts.

She also called for a review and repeal of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act.

Although Rep. Ignacio Arroyo explained that the soaring oil prices have forced Napocor to seek an increase, he said he would look into the matter amid complaints aired by consumers.

Marañon summed it up: "I am sure the consumers will have a hard time paying for the increase in electric bills."

CARP row killing

La Castellana Municipal Trial Court Judge Erwin Javellana yesterday denied bail to four security guards involved in the death of a Task Force Mapalad member in Hacienda Conchita, Barangay Sag-ang, La Castellana town.

Javellana also ordered Inspector Regidor Alvarado, La Castellana police chief, to transfer the four security guards to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.

Killed in the incident was Teresa Mameng, 60, a TFM member. The four guards were charged with murder and multiple attempted murder. They are Benjie Villanueva, Jo Al Olivares, Felipine Puntal and Johnny Baluarte, all members of the Tuquis Security Agency.

The contested area is the sprawling farm owned by GV and Sons. Mario Diaz, counsel of the farm, pointed out that the hacienda does not maintain "goons" contrary to TFM’s allegations.

The security guards were hired to protect the property from intruders and unscrupulous persons.

The Court of Appeals recently denied for lack of merit the motion for reconsideration filed by the Department of Agrarian Reform questioning the decision of Regional Trial Court Judge Reynaldo Alon to issue a writ of preliminary injunction enjoining the DAR and the Land Bank of the Philippines from including the Hacienda Conchita Villanueva under the CARP.

The four security guards yielded their shotguns to the police. But acting provincial PNP director Mark Edison Belarma also ordered the Tuquis Security Agency to turn over to them the M-16 assault rifle for ballistic test.

Two TFM members — Richard Baluyot and Fernando Pederiso — will also be subjected to paraffin tests.

DAR Secretary Rene Villa said the police and the Philippine Army are now patrolling the disputed property.

This incident also prompted Gov. Marañon and board member Francis Tuvilla to follow up their suggestion to have the DAR sign the memorandum of agreement on the agrarian reform program which could have enforced guidelines on how to handle contentious issues with the help of local government unit and the provincial government.

For the moment, the investigation into the shooting incident is the preoccupation of authorities, plus the possibility of staving off further violence.

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ADDENDA: The exemption of churches from payment of taxes is not absolute. The National Internal Revenue Code does not extend such exemptions to non-religious activities, such as owning a building for rent. This was the clarification of the assistant revenue officer of Dumaguete, Negros Oriental. The exemption, he stressed, is not automatic. Religious institutions have to apply for it by submitting the required documents to allow the BIR to verify them before an exemption clearance is issued. He cited as an example the lease of a building owned by the Dumaguete Cathedral. In short, now there is going to be a tightening of the exemption grants and the Church should start putting its books in order, and not presume automatic exemption for all its activities... A tragic tale. A female police officer — Senior Inspector Rosalinda Abellon, chief of the women and children’s desk of the PNP Negros Oriental command — claimed that burglars barged into her house when she went to visit her family in Darin town Sunday. The thieves reportedly went off with P40,000 worth of jewelry and P10,000 left in a handbag she had placed in a cabinet. P02 Jonathan Vailoces said the burglars must have destroyed the padlock of the policewoman’ residence to gain entry... The Bacolod police filed charges of large-scale illegal recruitment and estafa yesterday against Wilma Bedoa Cipres of Pasong Tamo, Makati City, who was nabbed Monday after allegedly victimizing six women would-be foreign workers. Wilma, also known as Avelyn Bautista, reportedly promised the six complainants work as domestic helpers in Dubai in exchange for P5,000 as processing fee. Well, as they say, there are always victims in the lure of well-paying jobs abroad. And many are victimized by glib-tongued recruiters. C’est la vie in cash-strapped Philippines.