P14-Million Pesos Worth of Shabu Seized in Iligan City

Authorities seized last Friday - March 4, 2016 two kilos of shabu worth P14 million at Gasaino Mall Iligan City. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Region 10 director Wilkins Villanueva told reporters that the anti-drug operation was the culmination of days of surveillance work. He said anti-drug operatives had been keeping an eye on a black Vios Sedan coming from Davao City, and according to an informer, has "Rodrigo Duterte" stickers.

P14-M shabu seized in Iligan City

Villaneuva said the informer told authorities that the target car was to deliver shabu to Iligan City. Police identified the four men arrested during the operation as Ryan Abdul Malik, Sanawiya Ampaso Calumbang, Khadaffy Aloyudan, and Jimmy Sarip – all were residents of Salvador, Lanao del Norte.

Villanueva said the suspects were trapped on Level 2 of the mall's parking area. Also, he said that this was the second attempt to smuggle illegal drugs into the city in months. Last year, a couple was arrested after yielding  a package containing a kilo of shabu.

Earlier, Iligan City's lone district Representative Vicente Belmonte Jr. and chairman of the committee on dangerous drugs said that the couple had been released. “Paiimbestigahan natin ito bakit napawalang-sala ang mag-asawang nahulihan ng isang kilong shabu at maging ang PDEA ay mag-iimbestiga rin,” Belmonte said in an interview on local radio.

ILIGAN OUTING Another “Very Good” Reception for Duterte

ILIGAN CITY – Mayor Rodrigo Duterte left another “very good” impression in this city.

Mayor Rodrigo Duterte

Duterte was in Iligan to speak during the 45th commencement exercises of the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT).

A motorcade took escorted him to the venue from the Iligan City National High School grounds where his chopper landed.

On hand to greet him upon his arrival were school officials, members of the Iligan Fury Moto Club and the Samporna clan which considers Duterte a distant relative.

The 5,000-capacity MSU-IIT gym was packed to the rafters by 1,612 graduates and their families and friends. The door had to be shut by security personnel after Duterte’s entrance was delayed by the usual throng of admirers.

Duterte was greeted with a standing ovation after he was introduced by MSU-IIT chancellor Sukarno Tanggol, one of the country’s foremost scholars and himself an expert and author on federalism.

Tanggol disclosed that when the announcement that Duterte was the commencement speaker was posted on Facebook, it instantly generated “more than 1,000 likes and more than a hundred shares.”

The chancellor revealed that a daughter of a faculty member herself had unwittingly rode on a taxi driven by the mayor on one of his fabled nocturnal past times which is going after criminals.

“(Duterte) is a legend, a hero and an idol”, Tanggol described Duterte in his introduction.

The audience stayed on in spite of the sweltering heat throughout the solemn ceremony.

Duterte did not read his prepared speech and instead spoke extemporaneously when he traced the history of the conflict in Mindanao.

The audience which was a mixture of Moslems and Christians listened attentively as Duterte presented his argument that the Mamasapano incident had its roots in the 1521 arrival of Ferdinand Magellan and the subsequent subjugation of the Philippines.

At the end of his 38-minute address, the entire graduating class rose as one to applaud the mayor who was uncharacteristically garbed in a toga.

Duterte was treated to a late lunch at the Office of the Chancellor where he was again besieged by admirers waiting to have their selfies and groupies with him.

He next proceeded to the College of Engineering amphitheater to speak at a federalism forum arranged by the Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte-National Executive Committee Iligan chapter headed by ex-Mayor Franklin Quijano.

Before Duterte’s turn, Tanggo gave excerpts of his book on federalism although he admitted he had to make it very brief because Duterte had to fly back to Davao.

Duterte said that earlier that day, he read in the news the warning of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles that violence will break out if the Bangsamoro Basic Law fails.

While he called for calm, Duterte said he is actively pushing for federalism because it is Mindanao’s last card to avert bloodshed.

Acknowledging the persistent calls for him to run, Duterte urged his audience to look to Manila first because there are enough materials there.

“(Vice President Jejomar) Binay, good. (Sen. Grace) Poe, good. (Secretary Mar) Roxas, good. (Sen. Alan Peter) Cayetano, good,” he started off.

Like in his previous sorties, the audience stayed silent, waiting for the clincher.

“But if you’re not satisfied, look south. Duterte, very good,”

Like in his previous sorties, the audience broke into instant applause and cheering.

Iligan was another “very good” outing for Duterte. 

by: (CHITO A. FUENTES)

Iligan City Mayor Refuses to Recognize Suspension

ILIGAN CITY – The Department of the Interior and Local Government regional office in Northern Mindanao on Friday served the suspension order against Mayor Celso Regencia and installed Vice Mayor Ruderic Marzo as acting mayor.

Mayor Celso Regencia ---- ILIGAN CITY

Regencia, who was defiant, refused to receive the suspension order, which was served by DILG Northern Mindanao Director Rene Burdeos – who came here with members of the Special Weapon and Action Team from the Northern Mindanao police office.

He said the suspension order was politically-motivated.

Regencia ran and won in the 2013 elections under the National Unity Party against Liberal Party candidate Henry Dy. He and Aquino-ally and Iligan City Representative Vicente Belmonte Jr. are known political enemies.

With Regencia’s refusal to acknowledge the order, Burdeos posted it instead inside the city hall.

The six-month suspension order issued by Malacañang against Regencia stemmed from the mayor’s alleged abuse of authority when he stripped Marzo of his right to sign in job order employees.

In the four-page order dated March 2 and signed by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Regencia was being suspended under Section 60 of the Local Government Code.

“Wherefore, as recommended by the DILG, respondent Mayor Celso G. Regencia is found guilty for abuse of authority and meted a penalty of six months suspension,” Ochoa’s order reads, citing that under Republic Act 7160, elected officials may be disciplined, suspended or removed from office for not more than six months for abuse of authority.

In the order, Ochoa said Regencia’s explanation that he was only trying to curb the influx of ghost employees at the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) was unacceptable.

The mayor allegedly failed to provide enough evidence that ghost employees indeed existed at the SP.

On January 15, 2014, Regencia – through a memorandum order – told the city’s human resource development officer, the budget officer, the city treasurer and the city accountant that no job orders at the SP should be processed for payments without his approval.

He said he was acting on allegations of ghost and the unusual number of casual employees at the SP, who were hired under non-existing legislative enhancement projects.

But Marzo contested Regencia’s memorandum and said it paralyzed the operation in the SP and the office of the vice mayor “causing abrupt interruption and suspension of transportation services, public and committee hearings, sessions and liaison, janitorial and messengerial services.”

In July 2014, the DILG started investigating Marzo’s complaint.

In January this year, the DILG submitted its investigation report to Ochoa’s office, with a recommendation that Regencia should be suspended for abuse of authority.

Ochoa, in his order, added that Regencia has no authority to restrict and/or prohibit Marzo from exercising his authority to appoint employees – whether casual or regular – for the office of the vice mayor and the SP.

The executive secretary also said that while the mayor has the authority to appoint officials and employees, that power did not extend to the SP because it is under the authority and power of the vice mayor.

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