Wednesday, October 19, 2011

DTI-Nueva Ecija warns profiteers

CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija, Oct. 8 (PNA) --The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) warns to slap heavy fines and even imprisonment on businessmen found to have jacked up prices of basic commodities in Nueva Ecija.

The province has been placed under state of calamity as a result of devastation brought by twin typhoons 'Pedring' and 'Quiel' during the past two weeks.

Brigida Pili, DTI provincial director, said Republic Act 7582, also known as Price Act, provides for automatic price control when a state of calamity is enforced. p>"Our provincial government has placed our province under the state of calamity so prices should be frozen," Pili said.

"There is no reason to suddenly increase prices of basic commodities such as sardines, noodles, sugar and the likes," Pili said, adding most retailers have these supplies already in their respective warehouses before the typhoons wrought havoc in Nueva Ecija and other parts of Central Luzon.

She said that her office regularly conducts monitoring of prices as she warned that erring businessmen maybe slapped with at least P1-million fine and imprisonment.

"Even a slight increase in transportation, if there's any, " she said, "is not enough ground to increase retail prices of basic commodities."

She lauded, however, local retailers for "observing proper pricing as part of their corporate social responsibility."

She said their manpower has been reinforced by people from various local governments and market administrators just to make sure no businessman takes advantage of the (PNA)

Suspect in Laguna killing nabbed in Nueva Ecija

CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija, Oct. 11 (PNA) - A suspect in the controversial “cooler killings” in Laguna was arrested by combined forces from the Nueva Ecija and Tarlac police on Sunday.

Senior Superintendent Roberto Aliggayu, director of the Nueva Ecija Police Provincial Office (NEPPO), identified the suspect as Sonny Boy Corpuz, 26, a resident of Barangay Bakal 1, Talavera, Nueva Ecija who was ranked No. 2 in the province's most wanted list.

Corpuz was the co-accused of his father Bayani Corpuz in the gruesome killing of furniture workers Vilma Badialo and Letecia Lupian on June 22, 2011 whose bodies were found stuffed inside a freezer in San Pablo City.

They allegedly took a Lucida van owned by the victims’ employer and some P70,000 and 300 Euros.

Aliggayu said the younger Corpuz was arrested in a relative’s house in Barangay Baldios, Sta. Ignacia, Tarlac by virtue of arrest warrants issued by Regional Trial Court Branch 37 Judge Nelson Tribiana.

With P140,000 on his head, the suspect is also a co-accused of his father in a string of cases, including robbery with homicide and double frustrated homicide and murder in Nueva Ecija, Aliggayu said.

Prior to his stay in Tarlac, Aliggayu said the suspect sought refuge in another relative's house in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro where he was reportedly also accused of robbery with violence against a person last March.

He was also sentenced to five years imprisonment for illegal possession of firearms under criminal case no. 1268 by the Municipal Trial Court of Talavera in February 2010, he added.

Aliggayu said the Corpuzes allegedly robbed three businessmen and reportedly sexually assaulted two women.

They were also charged for the killing of local peacekeeper Ignacio Ariola Eugenio Sr., 54, of Barangay Bakal 1, Talavera. (PNA)

2 Zambales fugitives collared in Nueva Ecija

CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija, Oct. 13 (PNA) -- Two fugitives, who escaped from the provincial jail of Zambales six months ago, were recaptured by elements of the Nueva Ecija Provincial Police Office (NEPPO) in Palayan City, police said.

Sr. Supt. Roberto Aliggayu, NEPPO director, said the suspects, identified as Jessie Bulatao, 35, a resident of Cabangan, Zambales and Gener Dolandolan, 28, of Botolan town were turned over to Zambales authorities on Wednesday.

Bulatao is facing violation of Republic Act 8294 or illegal possession of firearms and ammunition in Zambales Regional trial Court (RTC) while Dolandolan is charged with robbery.

They both escaped from Zambales provincial jail in Barangay Palaminan, Iba, Zambales in March 2011, Aliggayu said.

Investigation disclosed the duo escaped through a hole to a canal from the comfort room of the facility along with a certain Leymer Canoza, who is also facing robbery with homicide and Reyzon Cruz, a robbery suspect.

Cruz was rearrested in June in San Antonio, Zambales while Canoza was reportedly sighted somewhere in Nueva Ecija recently, Alligayu said.

"The arrest of the most wanted persons and fugitives in the province was a result of a month-long casing and surveillance of the Provincial Intelligence and Investigation Bureau (PIIB) under Superintendent Ricardo Villanueva and the Provincial Public Safety Company (PPSC) under Supt. Edgar Alan Okubo," he said.

This was also in line with the directives of PNP Director General Nicanor Bartolome of intensifying and neutralizing most wanted persons and other wanted persons as well as service of warrants against law offenders, he added. (PNA)

Third cropping to redeem losses from typhoons, says NIA chief

CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija, Oct. 16 (PNA) -- National Irrigation Administration (NIA) chief Antonio Nangel has ordered officials of the Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System (NIA-UPRIIS) to reach out local officials and agency technicians to validate the damage reports “at the soonest time possible.”

This as he expressed belief the losses in production caused by the twin typhoons “Pedring” and “Quiel” can be recovered through the so-called quick turnaround or planting immediately after harvesting.

Nangel said that dams, especially Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija, have enough water to sustain an immediate third cropping.

“Third cropping is our ready solution,” said Nangel, who also pioneered ratooning system during his stint as operations manager of NIA-UPRIIS which operates the giant Pantabangan Dam.

“Of course, we support that because we have the interests of the farmers in mind,” Nangel said.

“I have told them to coordinate with the various local government units (LGUs) in Nueva Ecija and with technicians of the Department of Agriculture so we could validate the damage reports at the soonest possible time,” he added.

Earlier, Vice Governor Jose Gay Padiernos and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan passed a resolution asking NIA to exempt farmers affected by typhoons Pedring and Quiel from paying irrigation service fees which is pegged at two and a half cavans (125 kilos) of palay during rainy season and three and a half (175 kilos) during wet season.

The move was readily supported by Governor Aurelio Umali ang the League of Municipalities-Nueva Ecija chapter (LMP-NE) led by Penaranda Mayor Ferdinand Abesamis.

Padiernos their resolution carries a mere request which “may be granted if possible.”

UPRIIS services 88,000 farmers, of whom 62,046 paid a total of P232.4 million as of October 7.

Last year, farmers paid P203.4 million in irrigation service fees. (PNA)