Pet Melliza

Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog is ecstatic that the Iloilo River is among the “finalists” for the award called “RiverPrize” that an Australian-based organization reserves for the “most liveable” rivers. Dr. Jurgenne H. Primavera: mangroves are our first line of defense against calamities and food insecurity.   Iloilo River is a misnomer: it is just an arm of the sea that winds around – and makes an island of – a portion of Iloilo City and part of the neighboring town of Ogtong. The city and Ogtong have been lulled by the mantra introduced by Senate Pres. Franklin Drilon. After the May 2010 elections Drilon and newly elected mayor, Mabilog, regaled us with the tourism mantra, a multi-million pesos event to clean the Iloilo River. The mantra says: once the beautification project is done, Iloilo River will become a magnet of foreign tourists, whose dollars will spur the economy to unknown heights and everybody lives happily ever after. Dr. Primavera notes that in less tha...

"WEE” stands for Women Economic Empowerment, a Canadian-funded project that could have been    boosted many times by the pork barrel of Pinoy national legislators. Iloilo Province is among the local government units in the Philippines acknowledged as “champion” and “outstanding” by the joint evaluation team of the National Commission on Women and the Canadian Indeternational Development Agency (CIDA). WEE-related recognition received by Iloilo Province. At the flag ceremony morning of 23 September 2013, WEE advocates presented to Gov. Arthur D. Defensor, Sr. plaques and trophies that NCW-CIDA awarded to Iloilo Province. Close-up of one of the plaques received by Iloilo Province. “We are promoting equality between men and women,” says Defensor. He does not elaborate but says that gender-and-development (GAD) program of his administration will be fleshed out in his state of the province address (SOPA) the next day, 23 September 2013. [Gender-and-Dev...

21 Sept 13 Hotel del Rio via Sky Cable Resource person, Kgd. Inday Lee Zulueta, says that majority in the Iloilo City council, this time, backed Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog’s proposal diverting P4 million of the P8 million from the budget of the Office of Senior Citizens’ Affairs (OSCA) into a “one-time Christmas gift” for senior citizens of Iloilo City. Kgd. Zulueta: no puppet of Mabilog; has her own independent stands. “I am not beholden to the mayor, I vote my conscience,” explains the first-time councillor. “I also went against the mayor when I voted to withdraw the council’s authority for the mayor to sign the proposed Iloilo-Guimaras Ferry Terminal.” Mabilog drew a public furor when he announced his bid to skim half of OSCA’s budget for gift-giving. Kgd. Plaridel Nava questioned calling the realignment of budgeted funds for another purpose “illegal”. Nava also led the council in withdrawing the local legislature’s authority for the mayor to ink the Iloilo-Guimaras ...

Mabilog: "PPP contract is above board" Here's another case of frying taxpayers in their lard under the guise of public-private partnership or PPP, the byword coined by government in lieu of "privatization" that has become like "tuwid na landas" of the scion of Hacienda Luisidta, a notorious, fraudulent term. Like other PPP deals, the one unfolding in Iloilo City practically leaves both city government and Malakanyang holding an empty bag, assured of a measly monthly share worth P16,000 for putting up its counterpart that runs to over P130 million. The National Economic Development Authroity (NEDA) is still studying whether the PPP in Iloilo City, technically called, "Iloilo Guimaras Ferry Terminal" would benefit the government. However, the public furor it ignited has contaminated the city government prompting an embarrased city council to "withdraw" the authority they granted to Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog to sign the ...

Oton once boasted of an ancient church that had a unique architectural design throughout the Philippines. Lady Caycay dashed all that to the ground, literally, that is. Oton church before Lady Caycay Lady Cay-Cay was an earthquake that demolished more than 30 churches on Panay Island on January 25, 1948 when the West Panay Fault moved. (Our church in Igbaras, Iloilo was ruined beyond repair.) The quake triggered a sea surge that drowned two boys frolicking on the Iloilo-Guimaras Strait. West Panay Fault, passing Lambunao, Iloilo from San Joaquin town, Iloilo and wounding farther up north past Aklan,  is some 11 km from the site of the proposed mega-dam. After Lady Caycay Don't worry, be happy, says Sen. President Franklin Drilon to Ilonggos, because the dam to be built in Iloilo will be done by experts and guaranted "earthquake proof." The P11.5 - billion dam, loaned largely from Korea overseas development assistance fund (sounds like PDAF), is pay...

What? She has projects in Paranaque? Kamlon and Ibrahim, anchors of the Sunday noontime talk show "Ukay-Ukay", mutter ed that in disbelief after learning that health undersecratary Janette Garin plunked her discretionary funds for infra-projects in Paranaque City which is beyond the borders of her constituency in her years as member of the Lower House (1st district, Iloilo)' Kamlon         Garin admitted she did put her pork barrel in the Metro Manila City but explained it was a "swap" with Rep. Roilo Golez who put in the same amount in Garin's constituency, which is "common practice" in the national legislature.   "Ukay-Ukay" Visayan for "rummaging" is aired live via Aksyon Radyo. The "swap" of funds inspired the two broadcasters to rename the former solon "GariNapoles", after the controversial Janet Lim Napoles who is now in the epicenter of the raging storm spun by the P10 - B pork barrel...

Atty. John Mark Espera. Senseless death The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) joins its Iloilo Chapter in condemning the senseless murder of an esteemed colleague in the legal profession, Atty. John Mark Espera. Atty. Ruby Espera, widow of the victim, thanking sympathizers. He was gunned down 11:30 am, yesterday, August 31, in Brgy. Pu-ao, Hamtic town, Antique. The police recovered spent shells from several firearms at the scene of the crime, some 20 meters from the residence of principal suspect Police Officer 3 Jose Suarez assigned at the Tobias Fornier Police Station, Antique.  NUPL lawyers, from left to right: Atty. Sarah Villamor, Alfonso Cinco IV, and Atty. Edre Olalia. Two others are at the background, Atty. Sol Gamusa (partially covered by Cinco), and Atty. Janne Baterna (partially covered by Olalia). Suarez surrendered but the police is still hunting for his younger brother Rico and a cousin, also suspects in the killings, which based on the nu...

If there’s anything good that came out of the P10 billion pork barrel scandal it’s the move of many beneficiaries thereof taking a tactical retreat from their pet project – charter change or “cha-cha”. Proponents of that move in and outside of national legislature (with Lower House speaker Sonny Belmonte spearheading in the latter), curiously are now mum too, much in contrast to the noises they generated since PNoy took over Malacanang in July 2010 from one who also tried – and failed – to mangle the Constitution and introduce provisions to allow foreign corporate giants take 100 percent control and ownership of businesses and lands. PNoy played coy with cha-cha but awkwardly carried out the script as unwilling accomplice. He was for cha-cha and he is only playing pogi by distancing himself from it. His own lieutenants were the loudest supporters of the move and he did even dare order them to toe his purported contrary stand. He opposed cha-cha accordingly but did not call ...