NPA leader killed, says Army brigade commander

Outgoing 303rd Infantry Brigade commander Brig. Gen. Jerry Jalandoni announced yesterday the death of New People’s Army (NPA) Larangan Gerilya 1 commander Danilo Bertolano, alias Ka Golem, during an attack on a detachment in Barangay Villegas, Guihulngan, Negros Oriental last April 22.

Jalandoni announced this before turning over the command of the 303rd IB to Col. Gregorio Fajardo. Jalandoni had served for only three months before his promotion and move to the AFP general headquarters.

Jalandoni was presented by Maj. Gen. Alphonsus Crucero a "ginunting" (native bolo) during the turnover rites.

Jalandoni also disclosed that the security group of the top NPA leader of Negros Island also lost nine other LG1 members, including platoon leader Emeterio Cornelio, alias Ka Dimas, and assistant platoon leader Ruben Babor. Both died during a gunbattle that reportedly lasted for two hours.

Bertolano was reportedly replaced temporarily by his wife, Nilda Natan-Bertolano, alias June Canja.

The LG1, operating in the upland areas of Central Negros, has been dubbed as Sentro de Grahidad as it secures the top leaders of the Komite Rehiyonal of Negros headed by renegade priest Frank Fernandez.

With the death of three battle-tested commanders, there is now a leadership vacuum in the communist group’s ranks.

Recently, Roberto Marapo, commander of Larangan Gerilya 3 in Ilog, Negros Occidental, was abducted. Brothers Rene and Bert Tañedo, political and logistics officers of the NPA Larangan Gerilya 4 of southern Negros Occidental, respectively, surrendered.

Jalandoni and Lt. Col. Norman Flores of the 61st Infantry Batallion were, however, named respondents in a habeas corpus case filed before the Kabankalan Trial Court. Both vehemently denied involvement in the reported abduction of Marapo.

Jalandoni also confirmed reports from Bohol about the landing of arms in Guihulngan intended for use by Negros-based guerrilla units as well as NPA rebels’ sightings in the Escalante-Toboso-Calatrave area in northern Negros Occidental.

Meanwhile, Fajardo vowed to pursue the campaign against insurgents as mandated by the higher headquarters.

The new 303rd IB commander was a former spokesman of the AFP and concurrent commander of Task Force Panay.

Maj. Gen. Crucero, 3rd Infantry Division commander, said that if there are officials in Negros supporting the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), it is only because they have been forced by circumstances. They may either be threatened or intimidated by insurgents or they just do not want to sacrifice peace and order in their respective areas.

JDV to address PCL Visayas

Speaker Jose de Venecia arrived yesterday in Bacolod to address the opening ceremonies of the Philippine Councilors League’s 6th Visayan Congress at the Garden Royale Hotel in Goldenfields.

A total of 800 councilors are attending the meet, most of whom are coming from the Visayas region. Others are from Luzon, said councilor Ana Marie Palermo, PCL Visayas league chairwoman.

This year’s theme is "Leading with a smile; sensitivity, motivation, innovation, legacy and example."

City administrator Lorendo Dilag will represent Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia as keynote speaker as the mayor had to go to Manila early yesterday.

It is expected that De Venecia will discuss Charter change with the local legislators.

The visiting councilors were scheduled to visit environment, history and handicrafts sites at the Negros Forest and Ecological Foundation Inc., Biodiversity Conservation Center, AFP Negros Showroom and the Negros Museum. They will also have a business tour of the SMC plant, and vermiculture casting and the cockbreeding farms of ECJ farms.

They will also visit a call center, Balay Pag-asa and Boys Home. Balay Pag-asa is a USLS project aimed at rescuing and rehabilitating sentenced minors under Bro. Chris Buquer.

Anyway, I’ll write about De Venecia’s visit here and what he took up with the Visayan lawmakers.

Warning to NORECO 2

Provincial legal officer Erwin Vergara reportedly warned directors of the Negros Oriental Electric Cooperative 2 that they could be sued unless they hold a special assembly in Dumaguete City in response to the call of the more than 20,000 members of the cooperative.

The Rotary Club of Dumaguete, which is supported by the Dumaguete City and Negros Oriental governments, is reportedly collecting 3,500 signatures to bolster their petition for a special assembly in Dumaguete City.

Juancho Gallardo and Rene Genova of the Visayan Daily STAR reported that any member of the cooperative could sue the board if the directors reject the petition, which centers on the P27-million interest-free loan offer of the provincial government.

Vergara pointed out that only 1,000 members attended the annual assembly in Bayawan City last March.

It also seems that the Bayawan assembly approved a new constitution and by-laws. But these are still subject to ratification by the Cooperative Development Authority as required by law.

It was not immediately clear why NORECO 2 officials are objecting to the P27-million interest-free loan of the provincial government.

Iloilo SP asks COA audit of CEO

The Iloilo City Sangguniang Panglunsod has requested the Commission on Audit (COA) to conduct a "fraud audit" of the city engineer’s office.

This was the motion by councilor Perelz Zulueta which was unanimously approved by the city council. She is the chairman of the ways and means committee that investigated the CEO last year.

The Zulueta committee noted inconsistencies in the CEO’s collection report compared with the actual collection by the office of the city treasurer.

Zulueta said the CEO collection report did not tally with the figures of the actual payments at the city treasurer’s office for building, electrical and occupancy permit fees.

The committee also formed an ad hoc committee to probe alleged anomalies as claimed by Electrical Inspector II Ricardo Gumabong.

The ad hoc committee, chaired by Zulueta, is composed of councilors Eduardo Peñaredondo, Erwin Plagata, Jed Mabilog, Erlinda Liberiaga, Ely Estante and Jeffrey Ganzon.

Last June 6, Gumabong requested the city council to investigate his colleagues and superiors at the CEO for a series of alleged illegal money-making ventures and for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Gumabong alleged that one of his superiors was cornering transactions with the operators of the Jamora building on Valeria street. The electrical tops, wirings, bulbs and other electrical supplies purchased by the city government were allegedly sold by some "runners" at the CEO.

Other anomalies included double purchase orders for asphalt, cement, sand and gravel as well as purchases of iron bars and other construction and electrical supplies.

Well, just confirming claims that with the approach of the elections next year, more charges of anomalies may surface and these may precipitate more investigations.