TESDA Education and Career Program

Following the successful "Career Caravan" in Cebu City last October 12 and in Puerto Princesa Palawan last October 13, the Director General of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) addressed more than 3,000 students from the public and private high schools of Northern Mindanao at the SM Activity Center, Cagayan de Oro City last October 16, 2006.

According to Syjuco, the "Career Caravan" definitely brought career opportunities to the young students and other residents in the region.

Secretary Syjuco said the "Career Caravan" highlighted the advantages of the "Ladderized Education Program" being pushed by the Arroyo government which is aimed to meet and close the gaps or empty spaces in our educational system and economy.

After Cagayan de Oro, he said the next destinations will be at Baguio City on November 10, in Batangas November 14, then in Tacloban November 16.

Afterwards, the TESDA chief said the "Career Caravan" will be conducted in other parts of the country by mid-November until the 14th of December. The last destination will be at Marawi City.

Syjuco said another highlight of the caravan will be various activities which are aimed to prepare the people find the right job opportunities that matches their skills.

Among these activities include Competency Assessment, Job Fairs, and Career Counseling to those interested to avail of the "Ladderized Education Program" of the Arroyo government.

 

Pension for PNP Members

by Rutchie Cabahug-Aguhob

At least Php6.964M in welfare benefits have been awarded to 36 members and/or beneficiaries of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Northern Mindanao who were killed or injured in line of duty, last year.

"The amount included the lifetime pension for PNP members who were permanently incapacitated and the 5-year pension for those killed in the performance of duty, reimbursement of medical and hospital expenses, gratuity equivalent to one year salary and burial expenses equivalent to 3-month salary in 2005," Regional Director Raquel Q. Ramos of the National Police Commission, region 10, said.

Pursuant to the provisions of Presidential Decree No. 448 and 1184, Napolcom administers the welfare benefit program for PNP members belonging to this category.

Meanwhile, Ramos said the government has come up with measures to better compensate the policemen for their efforts in battling crimes by addressing their concerns on the education of their children.

Last year, she said, Napolcom paid at least Php372,834.82 for 42 scholarship grantees who were children of the policemen killed in action or injured while in the performance of duty.

"The mode of payment for the scholarship of these children who were enrolled in the primary, secondary and tertiary levels in various educational institutions, regionwide, was made either through direct payment to the schools or as reimbursement of expenses to the scholar through the parent/guardian," she said.

In another development, Ramos said Napolcom-10 administered the PNP entrance and promotional examinations, twice, last year: April with atotal of 1,979 (1,776 males and 203 females) applicants and October with a total of 4,011 (2,032 (1,822 males and 210 females) applicants.

Cooperative Capital of the Philippines

Cagayan de Oro City is fast becoming as the Cooperative Capital of the Philippines.

Regional Director Orlando Ravanera of the Cooperative Development Authority in Northern Mindanao made this disclosure as he congratulated members of the various cooperative groups in the city for the successful turnout of the two-day Koop Tabo, an agro-trade fair for city agricultural and non-agricultural cooperatives.

Ravanera pointed out that every Cagayanon cooperator has every reason to be proud of their effort along cooperative movement not just in the region but in the entire country as well.

The CDA regional director revealed that the cooperative movement in Cagayan de Oro is contributing 9 percent of the regional economy in Northern Mindanao.

Cagayan de Oro boasts of a total of 11 stable cooperatives which performances impressed not only cooperative officials in the region but in the entire country.

"Our very own city mayor, Mayor Vicente Y. Emano is considered as one of the strong pillars of the cooperative movement in the country," Ravanera said.

Ravanera added that the cooperatives in the city have instituted unique initiatives that are not found in other cooperatives elsewhere in the country.

The city's vibrant cooperative movement is further supported by the presence of SEARSOLIN which supports cooperative endeavors not only in the country but in the Southeast Asian region.

Police visibility in all cemeteries in the city

In preparation for the observance of the All Saints Day and All Souls Day on November 1 and 2 respectively, the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (COCPO) readies its 400 uniformed and non-uniformed personnel to ensure peace and order in all parts of the city.

Police Superintendent Aurelio Trampe, city police director disclosed this even as he guaranteed police visibility in all cemeteries in the city if only to ensure public safety and orderliness during the two-day observance.

Among those who will be fielded in the cemeteries for the "Oplan Kaluluwa" are the personnel of the City Mobile Group (CMG), PNP Recom 10 and other local police precincts.

Col. Trampe said that "Oplan Kaluluwa" will be implemented starting tomorrow evening and will end on the morning of November 2.

He added that due to the influx of people visiting their loved ones in the cemeteries, the local police office heightened the alert level in the city especially in bus terminals, seaport and airport.

They also tighten the check-points in the western and eastern parts of the city to easily monitor possible incidents that would threaten the stable peace and order of Cagayan de Oro.

Col. Trampe urged the public to visit the cemetery at an early hour of the day to avoid traffic jam in the cemeteries and park their vehicles properly.

Most Child Friendly Barangay

In line with the month-long celebration of the National Children's Month, the city government awarded today barangay Canitoan after it was adjudged as the Most Child Friendly Barangay in the city.

City Mayor Vicente Y. Emano presented the plaque of recognition and a cash prize of P50,000 to Barangay Chair Marlyn Lagumen during the regular flag raising ceremony at the city hall ground.

Brgy. Canitoan bested six other barangays in the city after a thorough re-evaluation of the existence and functionality of a Barangay Council for the Protection of Children, Barangay Nutrition Committee and Barangay Development Council; presence of barangay facilities that will ensure the holistic growth of children such as a barangay health center, day care center, reading center and playground; and the provision of annual budget for children's welfare and development.

Other winners of the said search which were able to show their barangay's goal along child health, maternal health, education, child protection, child participation and other family factors are Brgy. 18, Bulua, Carmen, Patag, Macasandig and Puntod. Each of the finalists received a Plaque of Appreciation from Mayor Emano and Councilor Simeon Licayan, chair of the city council committee on health and social services.

Of the 80 barangays, only 33 participated in the search while eight barangays submitted their entries and seven made it to the final round.

The search highlighted the Universal Children's Month celebration which ends tomorrow and aims to heighten the awareness of community leaders and members on the basic rights of children that need to be upheld.

Problem resulting from natural disasters

The Regional Disaster Coordinating Council in Northern Mindanao has reiterated its call to the local government units and other concerned government agencies to provide a well-coordinated and organized response to any problem resulting from natural disasters.

"We appeal to the public to fully cooperate with disaster management officials and listen to the warnings and other weather bulletins issued by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) before the occurrence of strong winds and typhoons," P/Chief Supt. Florante J. Baguio, RDCC-10 Chairperson said.

Baguio, who is head of the Philippine National Police in the region, sounded the appeal in the wake of Typhoon "Paeng" whose onslaught had caused heavy damage to properties and agricultural farms in the northernmost part of Luzon.

"A well-coordinated disaster management team can ensure that timely and effective assistance is extended to the affected communities in times of natural disasters like those of Typhoon Milenyo and Paeng, that visited the country, recently" he said.

Meanwhile, the Dept. of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in the region has directed all its district offices to inspect and assess the structural integrity of various infrastructure within their area of jurisdiction, particularly, school buildings.

"The directive is issued in line with the Memorandum Order issued by DPWH Secretary Hermogenes E. Ebdane , Jr., in relation to the devastation that Typhoon Milenyo has brought about," Regional Director Sinaolan T. Macarambon of DPWH-10 said.

She said all the District Engineers (DE) are then asked to issue corresponding certifications that these buildings are still safe for habitation.

Land Transportation Office Regional Office 8

In order to be of full help to the traveling women, men and children in connection with the All Saints Day and All Souls Day celebrations, the Land Transportation Office Regional Office 8 through Director Raul Aguilos announced the venues of the Oplan Kaluluwa.

On October 31, Director Aguilos said that Oplan Kaluluwa helpdesks with personnel of the Land Transportation Office manning them, will be established at Philtranco Station, at the old terminal near MacDonalds and at the New Bus Terminal.

These helpdesks will be manned from 3:00 o'clock in the afternoon up to 7:00 o'clock in the evening, Director Aguilos informed.

Likewise, Director Aguilos said that a Roving Team composed of LTO personnel will also be on duty on October 31, from 3:00 o'clock in the afternoon until 7:00 o'clock in the evening.

For November 1, Director Aguilos said that LTO has organized three teams and one roving team. The first team will have three groups with each group manning the helpdesks at Philtranco, Macdonalds and New Bus Terminal from 7:00 o'clock in the morning up to 11:00 o'clock in the morning.

The second team man the Oplan Kaluluwa helpdesks at Philtranco, Macdonalds and New Bus Terminal from 11:00 o'clock in the morning until 3:00 in the afternoon.

The third team, Director Aguilos said, will man the Oplan Kaluluwa helpdesks at the three sites from 3:00 o'clock in the afternoon till 7:00 o'clock in the evening.

A Roving Team has also been formed to be on duty on November 1, Director Aguilos clarified. He said that the schedule of the personnel who will man the Oplan Kaluluwa helpdesks was made so in order to give the personnel time to be able to practice the Filipino custom of visiting the graves and paying respect to their dearly beloved who have already passed away from this earth.

 

Eco-tourism destination in Leyte, Philippines

by Flor Jackson

An amount of P1.3 million has been allocated by the local government unit (LGU) of Tabango in Leyte province to develop its eco-tourism destination to attract more local and foreign tourists to visit their place and experience the many natural attractions that are entirely unique from what they have seen in other places of the country.

This was revealed by Mayor Bernard Jonathan "Ben Jo" Remandaban recently in a telephone interview with PIA.

He said that part of the amount will be used to develop Mt. Kantur-aw, on of the tourist destinations in Tabango town visited most frequently by foreign tourists.

Mayor Remandaban further revealed that a stairway of some 600 steps is now undergoing construction that will lead to the topmost part of Mt. Kantur-aw which is about 200 meters from the ground level of the town which is now 90% nearing completion.

Likewise, part of the plan to develop this particular tourist spot is the construction of cottages atop where tourists may relax and savor the pleasure of getting a real touch with nature.

Since this natural scenic attraction is overlooking the town of Tabango, one can also view some tourist attractions in Cebu which are located just across.

Moreover, he said that telescopes will be put up to enable tourists to get a clear view of other tourist spots in nearby places.

Mt. Kantur-aw will then be named Tabango Observatory Point Summit.

Also, to get a good part of the budget allocation for tourism development in the Municipality of Tabango is the improvement and development of the "Dagkotanan", a place where people offer candles and prayers of thanksgiving and for their petitions of all sorts to be granted by God Almighty.

The good Mayor said, this particular tourist destination is one of the most sought places in their town.

In December this year, Mayor Remandaban bared that the Municipality of Tabango is part of the island hopping tour of the officials of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) in Manila.

Gloria Arroyo Suffers Fate of Erap Estrada

The glory days of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ended at the 16 th floor of a hospital suite in Taguig City when she was served a warrant of arrest for alleged electoral sabotage in the 2007 elections with one of her harshest critics in Bohol reacting just as fast saying "it was payback time for the former president". In what appeared to be a reversal of fortune, GMA was arrested on the strength of an arrest warrant issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Jesus Mupas of Pasay branch 112 late afternoon Friday at her hospital suite at the St Luke's Medical Center in Taguig City. Reacting just as swift, top notch lawyer Victor de la Serna sent an 11-page press statement where he characterized GMAs arrest as payback time. De La Serna, a known harsh critic of the former president even during her incumbency, made no pretence of his latest tirades on GMA, saying she is now getting a dose of her own medicine. Friday's arrest was a reprise of what she did when she allowed the arrest in April 2001 of former president Erap Estrada on charges of plunder. The actor-president was eventually imprisoned until he was pardoned by her lady successor. It was poetic justice for the former lady president who ran the country for 10 years despite several attempts to impeach her. According to de la Serna she, was the first president to violate the tradition of allowing an out-going president to live in peace.

The case of Estrada comes to mind, de la serna added. With what she had done to Estrada, de la Serna said she is now is suffering the same fate she has reflected on her predecessor. "Call it the day of reckoning for her abuses as president for ten years, but in my view, she justly deserves it and more, much more", the feisty lawyer added. Describing GMA's predicament, de la Serna, who is also known for his brutally frank rhetoric, said she would have been able to depart last Friday right after the Supreme Court reiterated the TRO it has issued earlier. Unfortunately for Gloria, however, the Comelec en banc issued an order to file the electoral sabotage case against her in the RTC of Pasay. And fortunately again, the Pasay RTC issued a warrant of arrest against GMA – which is a non-bailable crime. All that scuttled all together plans of the former chief executive to leave the country to seek medical treatment abroad. By 6:00 p.m. Friday, GMA was arrested although, she was allowed to remain in the hospital under guard, in consideration for her physical condition and as former president to live in peace, In calling GMA's fate as her day of reckoning, de la Serna said , with her arrest, she will be made to account for her abuses as president for 10 years.

Gloria Arroyo Can Never Leave the Philippines

Is this the end of the story? . Will Gloria not be able to leave the country finally? The outspoken lawyer asked? Answering his own question, de la Serna said it would be hard for GMA to wiggle out of the present mess she is in. In his own analysis, de la Serna said it is possible that next week, GMA's lawyers will surely file a petition for habeas corpus with the SC which he said composed of her appointees. De la Serna said that surely, the SC will declare the warrant of arrest issued by the Pasay RTC as void. With the arrest warrant set aside and the SC TRO still effective, Gloria will again book a plane to Singapore. Will she finally be able to leave the country and evade accountability to all the crimes she has committed against the Filipino people? De la Serna said he doubted if GMA makes it Singapore after removing the legal impediment to prevent her from leaving.

According to the combative lawyer, the state is not left powerless just because a subservient majority of the SC have chosen to violate all norms of judicial conduct to favour their patroness who now has to be answerable and accountable for the 10 years that she has cheated, lied and stolen from the Filipino people. What will happen if the High Court favors GMA's position to seek medical treatment abroad thus removing all the barriers for her foreign trip? According to de la Serna, the President, under his full grant of executive power, and under his Oath of Office, can lawfully step up, under this extreme situation, to stop GMA from leaving the country. He said by doing so, GMA will surely frustrate the people's hunger to make her answerable and accountable for all her excesses, especially the hundreds of billions from the country's treasury. In short, he said, Pres. Aquino can and should refuse to follow he SC, under this authority granted by the same Constitution adding that with " our entire judicial system reined in by a subservient majority of the SC, it is time for Pinoy to assert his power—to prevent the Philippines from becoming the laughing stock of the whole world.

GMA Arrested

GMA's arrest Friday came 17 months after stepping down from the presidency last June 30. Now a Pampanga representative, and once dubbed the "Iron Lady of Asia," was in bed at a 16th-floor suite of St. Luke's Medical Center in Taguig City, wearing a hospital gown and a neck brace. The serving of the warrant capped a day of swift and unexpected developments. Senior Supt. James Bucayu of the Southern Police District (SPD) led a battery of policemen in black berets and blue uniforms in serving the warrant. He said Arroyo was calm and had anticipated their arrival, even offered them a smile, and waived her right to hear a reading of her rights by Senior Supt. Joel Coronel. The warrant was served at 6:30 p.m., or two hours after it was issued by Judge Jesus Mupas of Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 112 for the nonbailable offense. The officers were led from Arroyo's room to the suite's receiving area, where former fiscal Jose Flaminiano received the warrant and took over the details of the arrest.

"Under the direction of Police Director Alan Purisima, we have served the arrest warrant on former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo," Bucayu said in an impromptu press conference held 20 minutes after officially putting the lawmaker, who has a bone ailment, under hospital arrest. "She was conscious and in a reclining position on her bed when we served the warrant. It was very visible that she was sick. But she smiled at us. Perhaps she had expected us already," he said. "She expected it; she was not sad. She looked like she just woke up. Not like [at the airport on Tuesday night], when she was nearly crushed. She was just nodding and smiling." Due to Arroyo's frail condition, police will conduct the "booking"—the standard taking of mug shots and fingerprints—Saturday at 9 a.m. in her hospital room, Bucayu said. "Depending on her condition, to be determined by government doctors, we will transfer [her] to the custody of the SPD on Monday," he said, adding that four guards had been stationed outside Arroyo's suite and another team at the main entrance of the hospital.

Philippine President in Jail

Arroyo is the second former Philippine president to be arrested, after Joseph Estrada in 2001. But unlike Estrada, who was eventually convicted of plunder, there were no supporters keeping vigil when she was arrested. Shortly before the warrant was served, Ferdinand Topacio, lawyer of Arroyo's husband, and Raul Lambino, Arroyo's legal spokesperson, made themselves scarce to reporters. Earlier in the day, the two men were defiant and optimistic, with Lambino announcing that the former President and her husband would leave for Singapore Friday afternoon. "It's a matter of exercising their constitutional right to travel," he said. Bucayu said anyone could visit Arroyo depending on the hospital rules. He said the arresting team wanted to talk to Arroyo's doctors but they were not in the suite. Only Arroyo's husband, Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo, and their son, Camarines Sur Rep. Diosdado "Dato" Arroyo, were with the former President, along with Flaminiano, Lambino and Topacio, her spokesperson Elena Bautista-Horn, and some of her former Cabinet members and relatives. There were no children in the suite, Bucayu said. Senior Superintendent Coronel said that while Arroyo was not taken to jail, the important thing was that she was now under arrest.

Arrest Warrant for Gloria Arroyo

Coronel said Arroyo's coaccused had also been served their arrest warrants—former Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. at the Bicutan detention center and former Maguindanao Election Supervisor Lintang Bedol at Camp Crame. He said Arroyo was not considered a flight risk or suicidal, which was why police had kept security at a minimum. Judge Mupas ordered Arroyo's arrest for purportedly engineering the results of the 2007 senatorial elections in Maguindanao. He set aside the request of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the urgent issuance of a hold-departure order on Arroyo and her two coaccused and scheduled a hearing on the need for such an order on Monday at 9 a.m. In a one-page order that Branch 112 Clerk of Court Joel Pelicano read to reporters, Mupas said that "after personally evaluating the voluminous records of the case," he found probable cause against Arroyo, Ampatuan Sr. and Bedol. The court based its finding of probable cause against Arroyo on the affidavits of Norie Unas, Ampatuan Sr.'s former senior aide; Zaldy Ampatuan, a son of Ampatuan Sr., and Bedol, which "point[ed] to the complicity of … Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo with the other accused." Prosecutor General Claro Arellano said Abalos was not included among those charged because the case that Comelec filed was concerning the alleged cheating in Manguindano during the 2007 election. Arellano said a separate complaint for 11 counts of electoral sabotage would be filed against Arroyo, Abalos and several others on Monday.

Philippine judicial process slow

While the Philippine judicial process has been perceived as moving painfully slow, the wheels of justice turned like a well-oiled machine on Friday. Comelec lawyers brought the criminal information sheet to Clerk of Court Pelicano's office at around 11:22 a.m. and the case was immediately raffled off electronically to Judge Mupas' court. As it turned out, the Pasay RTC was a pilot testing site for the Supreme Court's enhanced case management program, where the raffle of cases and the generation of case numbers are done using computers. The project, which was under the watch of retired Associate Justice Adolfo Azcuna, was also made available in Quezon City and the other cities of Makati, Marikina, Angeles (Pampanga) and Lapu-Lapu (Cebu), according to a poster on Branch 112's office door. Pelicano said Pasay City had jurisdiction over the case because the ballots were brought for counting at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC). Judge Mupas appeared at the courtroom at around 1 p.m. but refused to be interviewed. He allowed reporters to stay in the courtroom and office as he went through the records of the case, which consisted of at least eight black binders as thick as a copy of the telephone directory's Yellow Pages. At around 3 p.m. Mupas directed reporters to leave the courtroom—so he could "concentrate," according to Pelicano. But as the directive was being announced, the Inquirer saw a member of the court staff holding a pad of yellow paper and appearing to be typing something. The staff member gestured to a colleague to ask reporters to leave, saying: "Baka may makabasa nito (Someone might read this)." An hour later, Court Sheriff Ismael Cuerdo casually left the office holding pieces of paper. Asked where he was going and if he held the arrest warrant, he smiled and answered in the affirmative. Cuerdo went to the Pasay City Police's warrants section and had the arrest order received.

Arroyo was accused of conspiring with Ampatuan

In the three-page rap sheet, Arroyo was accused of conspiring with Ampatuan Sr. and Bedol in "willfully, feloniously and unlawfully tamper[ing with] the provincial certificate of canvass (PCOC) of votes, the statements of votes by city or municipality (SOVM) and summary statement of votes (SSOV) for the province of Maguindanao" in May 2007. Arroyo allegedly ordered the rigging "during a dinner meeting in Malacañang" where she "personally instructed" Ampatuan Sr. to ensure a "12-0 victory for the senatorial candidates of Team Unity," according to a copy of the document obtained by the Inquirer. Then Governor Ampatuan Sr. purportedly issued a similar instruction to Bedol. The information was signed by Comelec lawyers Romeo Fortes, Michael Villaret and Maria Juana Valleza. The Comelec claimed that the order to commit fraud was carried out by Bedol, which resulted in the tampering of the PCOC, SOVM and SSOV and the padding of votes for the 12 Team Unity candidates. The election documents were then submitted for canvassing to the Comelec, then sitting as the national board of canvassers at the PICC in Pasay City, the Comelec said.

Hold-departure order on Arroyo

In its urgent motion for the issuance of a hold-departure order on Arroyo, the Comelec said the former President was "insisting to leave the country allegedly to consult medical experts of her own choice and to receive specialized care and medical attention from other institutions due to her medical condition, which hardly qualifies as an emergency or life-threatening." The poll body claimed that "the insistence of the accused … to leave the country is being done for the purpose of absconding and thereby evading prosecution for their electoral sabotage case." It added: "Considering the gravity and magnitude of the offense committed, the damage and prejudice they caused to the electoral and democratic processes of the government, the imposable penalty involved, and the vast resources and international connections of the accused, there is a real danger that they will flee the country to avoid criminal prosecution." Following the filing of the case of electoral sabotage against Arroyo, the Department of Justice (DOJ) called on the Supreme Court to lift its TRO (temporary restraining order) on the travel ban on Arroyo and her husband. In an urgent manifestation, Solicitor General Jose Anselmo Cadiz said the Pasig City RTC now had jurisdiction of the case. "The filing of a complaint or information in court initiates a criminal action. The court thereby acquires jurisdiction over the case, which is the authority to hear and determine the case. The rule therefore in this jurisdiction is that once a complaint or information is filed in court, any disposition of the case such as its dismissal or the conviction or acquittal of the accused rests on the sound discretion of the court," Cadiz said.

Case of electoral sabotage against Arroyo

Earlier in the day, the Comelec voted 5-2 to approve the filing of a case of electoral sabotage against Arroyo. Mike Arroyo was not named as a respondent in the case "for insufficiency of evidence to establish probable cause." The decision of the Comelec sitting in full session was made following deliberations early Friday, a few hours before the Supreme Court was to resolve questions on the TRO it issued on Tuesday on the inclusion of the former First Couple in the immigration watch list. Those who voted in favor of charging Arroyo with electoral sabotage were Comelec Chair Sixto Brillantes Jr. and Commissioners Rene Sarmiento, Elias Yusoph, Christian Robert Lim and Augusto Lagman. Commissioners Lucenito Tagle and Armando Velasco did not take part in the vote, claiming they had not received earlier a copy of the 33-page resolution issued by the joint panel of the DOJ and Comelec that looked into the allegations of poll fraud in 2007.

After a meeting that lasted nearly three hours, the Comelec en banc issued a four-page resolution stating that it was approving and adopting the joint panel's resolution to file a case of electoral sabotage against Arroyo, but with a few modifications concerning other personalities investigated by the panel. It approved the filing of the same charge against former Comelec Chair Benjamin Abalos Sr.,Bedol, Ampatuan Sr. and Capt. Peter Reyes, a former military intelligence operative. In its resolution, the Comelec ordered its law department to immediately file the necessary cases "in the higher interest of justice and by reason of manifest attempts to frustrate the government's right to prosecute and to obtain speedy disposition of the present case pending before [it]." In a concurring opinion, Brillantes said he was "originally inclined" to inhibit from the deliberations but decided to "vote and concur" with the opinion of the majority in the "higher interest of justice [and] equity and as public interest highly demands." He said probable cause against Arroyo was established "specifically on her failure to submit any refuting evidence to the direct statements under oath of witnesses." With reports from Niña Calleja, Jocelyn R. Uy and Jerome Aning of PDI