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Graft charges filed vs. Camarines Norte gov

THE Office of the Ombudsman on Friday filed graft and estafa charges against Camarines Norte provincial governor Jesus O. Typoco Jr. before the Sandiganbayan for allegedly swindling private supplier Ildefonso Macaraig in 2002 of almost P15 million worth of school furniture and farm equipment.

Assistant special prosecutor III Bienvenida Gruta said Typoco promised full payment of P14,999,980 to Macaraig, owner of Crown IBM Trading based in Batangas City, for 7,219 school chairs and various sets of gardening equipment but failed to settle the obligation despite repeated demands.

Investigators said Typoco had prior knowledge that the provincial government had not made any appropriations for the school and farming supplies but he still pushed through with the purchase contract. Gruta recommended bail set at P30,000 for the graft charge and P500,000 for the estafa case. - Peter J. G. Tabingo

BACOLOD CITY - Negros Occidental governor Isidro Zayco and board members Renato Gustilo and Nehemias dela Cruz are protesting the reassignment to the province of 10 policemen from Guimaras and Panay who have been linked to illegal activities.

Zayco and the two board members said it is an insult to Negros Occidental to be made the dumping ground of scalawags in the police force. In his letter to Chief Supt. Isagani Cuevas, regional director of Western Visayas police, Zayco requested the withdrawal of the reassignment pending verification of the complaints alleged against the 10 policemen.

Cuevas, however, clarified that the 10 cops have no pending criminal cases and were reassigned because of moonlighting activities, failure to report to their assigned duties, and frequently visits to cockpits. He said seven other policemen were reassigned to other provinces in the region and to PNP headquarters in Camp Crame. He appealed to the local leaders not to block the transfer, saying what the cops need is "reformation" to make them effective in their job. - Gilbert Bayoran

THE Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) yesterday launched a cellular phone-based grievance mechanism to better serve at least 189,000 veterans and their dependents, many of whom are elderly.

Ernesto Carolina, Defense undersecretary for Civil, Veterans and Reserve Affairs and acting PVAO administrator, said the program, called "I-text mo si Administrator," will allow their veteran-clients to reach out to them by sending text messages to 2920 which will then be routed to PVAO's Office for Public and Legislative Affairs for action.

He said this will give the veterans, their relatives and other stakeholders nationwide an open and direct line to PVAO for queries, suggestions and complaints.

This is the second reform program to be launched by the Department of National Defense and PVAO in te past weeks. Earlier, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. formed a body to go after fixers who prey on the veterans. - Victor Reyes

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) warned violators of the water pollution law that no one will be spared as it penalized six companies - two in Mindanao, two in the Visayas and two in Metro Manila - for discharging untreated wastewater into the environment.

"We are serious and clear with our message that no single violator will be spared from DENR's enforcement of the environment laws, especially on water pollution," Environment Secretary Lito Atienza said. "Water is essential to sustain life so that any firm or individual who kills or causes death of our waters due to pollution can be considered environmental criminals."