DILG asked to implement court order on election case

Mayoral candidate Jose " Joy" D. Penano has asked Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Ronaldo Puno to intervene in the delayed implementation of a court decision declaring him as the duly elected mayor of Alfonso, Cavite.

Penano sought the DILG intervention following rival Virgilio Varias’s withdrawal of a petition before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for a restraining order and writ of preliminary against Penana and Tagaytay City Regional Trial Court Judge Edwin Larida who declared Penano as winner in the last election.

Comelec Commissioner Moslemen T. Macarambon ordered the petition withdrawn after there was no opposition made to Varias’s manifestation of withdrawal.

In a letter to the DILG, Penana said there was no longer any reason not to implement the judge’s ruling.

"The case has dragged on with no resolution in clear sight because of technicalities that deviate from the fact that I am the duly elected mayor of Alfonso, Cavite as confirmed and re-affirmed by our Courts. The injustice emerging from this delay is developing into an irony, as it is possible that by the time I take on the responsibilities of serving my constituents, the case would become moot and academic," Penano said.

It can be recalled the court annulled the proclamation of Varias and declared Penano as the duly elected mayor of Alfonso, Cavite, having 10,312 votes against Varias’s 10,208 in the May 14, 2007 election.

The judge ruled that the " Court cannot depart from its own ruling and agrees that the protestant’s victory by a margin that is far from meager is manifest in the decision. And that the decision is positively supported by a reliance on the ballots the direct expression and the eminent basis for the determination of the choice of the electorate."

Earlier, Penano filed a motion asking the court for the immediate execution of the
decision citing public interest and the avoidance of further delay in the satisfaction of the will of the voters of the Municipality of Alfonso, Cavite.

The court ruled that considering the shortness of the period of the remaining term as well as recognizing the public interest in the present election case, Penano’s motion was in order.

Varias filed a notice of appeal with the Comelec, while Penano filed a motion for execution of the RTC decision pending appeal.

On Jan. 10, 2008, RTC heard the motion for execution pending appeal which it granted on Jan. 21, 2008 .

Both Penano and Varias received copies of the RTC decision on Jan. 25, 2008 which also directed that the corresponding writ of execution be issued after 20 working days if no restraining order is secured by Varias.

Although the 20 days have lapsed without Varias securing a TRO, Judge Larida failed to issue a writ of execution. On March 3, 2008, Penano filed with the RTC an Urgent Ex-parte Motion for the issuance of the writ of execution pending appeal but up to now the motion remains unacted upon.

On March 18, 2008 , Penano filed with the Comelec a petition for mandamus to compel Judge Larida to issue the writ of execution.

Varias filed an answer to the petition for mandamus, saying the RTC cannot issue the writ of execution pending appeal because the case is already with the Comelec.

(taken from Manila Bulletin, article by Madelynne Dominguez)

CvSu receives GIS

The Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) of the Department of Agriculture recently donated a Geographic Information System (GIS) software composed of digital maps to the Cavite State University (CvSU), it was announced by its president, Dr. Ruperto S. Sangalang.

The GIS maps, developed and generated by the BAR, were created to serve as a basic tool for planning, policy determination, monitoring, research and development, and all other activities aimed to enhance government function and service to the public.

Through the digital maps, data could be derived by region, by province and by municipality, says BAR director Nicomedes P. Eleazar.

The research center of Cavite State University commended BAR for conceptualizing the system for it can well provide the much needed tool for practically all significant research angles.

By the way, BAR has been helping CvSU since early 2000. BAR provided a grant worth R3 million for the university’s institutional development fund that enhanced its research capability. It also designated CvSU as the National Research, Development and Extension network on coffee and urban agriculture.

(Manila Bulletin, AGPapa)

Floods in Cavite towns subside

Floods in coastal areas of Cavite caused by typhoon “Frank” (international codename: Fengshen) had subsided as of Monday morning and evacuees are returning to their homes, an official said.

The three Cavite coastal towns of Rosario, Bacoor and Noveleta, and Cavite City were submerged in floodwaters that forced around 6,000 families to evacuate to public schools, markets, and barangay halls in higher areas.

Larry Monzon, coordinator of the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC), said in a telephone interview the evacuees are returning home to repair damage caused by the typhoon.

He said the four towns and city are prone to flashfloods during typhoons and heavy rains because of their proximity to the Manila Bay.

Monzon placed the damage at 10 to 15 percent of total properties and agricultural products in Cavite but the PDCC has yet to give an estimate of the total cost.

(Philippine Daily Inquirer, Niña Catherine Calleja)