Now, back to the basics

There was a euphoric prediction of prospects for 2006. But this soon gave way to a focus on the basic problems, such as the P1-million heist of a Columbia Marketing Corp. in Hda. Carmenchika Grande in Antipolo, Pontevedra town last Dec. 29.

That holdup, where the take involved about P1 million in cash and checks, reportedly involved seven bonnet-wearing gunmen who reportedly peppered two trucks of Columbia Marketing, prompting the collector and his helper to scurry out for cover.

Provincial police director Superintendent Charles Calima cited the obvious questions. First, he said, "How come the holdup men knew the exact time when the panel trucks were to pass through the road? Second, that they were carrying such a large sum?"

He directed Pontevedra police chief Mary Rose Salve Gaspillo and 3rd Provincial Mobile Group’s Senior Inspector Argel Ancheta to further investigate the incident.

The trucks, bearing license plates GCP 717 and CGY 963, were heading toward Bacolod when they were waylaid by the armed men. The trucks were later recovered in Barangay Ayungon, Valladolid town.

But there was something more chilling. Calima said murder cases in Negros Occidental rose by almost 25 percent in 2005 compared to the previous year.

In 2004, he said police recorded a total of 114 murder cases. Last year, the number rose to 146.

But there were also some improvements. Homicide cases dropped from 75 to only 59 during the same period. Then, there was also a dip in robbery and theft cases from 117 to 103.

He attributed this to strict information, the putting up of police checkpoints and higher police visibility.

The P1-million Antipolo heist, however, may mar the Negros Occidental police’s aspiration to bag the number one ranking in the Western Visayas region.

As is the common observation — when one finds the goings-on comfortable, there are last-minute hitches that may foul up what seems to be inevitable.

Blackout jitters in Iloilo

Ilonggos remain anxious. Until now, despite assurances that there will be no blackout, they are still waiting for word on whether the Panay Power Corp. has already paid its fuel from Shell Company so it could operate efficiently with no more fears of a blackout.

PECO earlier announced that it had fuel enough to last only until Jan. 5. It sought an increase in power rates which the Energy Regulatory Commission had granted provisionally.

The reason: unless that was approved, the Panay Power Corp. would not be able to collect from PECO.

But that was also criticized by some quarters as a scenario aimed at forcing the ERC to grant the PECO petition with the power consumers as the bait.

Well, whatever the exact reason for that saber-rattling story, we can only cross our fingers that the blackout does not happen, especially since Iloilo is now preparing for the final stretch of its famed Dinagyang Festival which falls on the third Sunday of this month.

So with the Kalibo Ati-Atihan and other Panay festivities associated with the Sto. Niño, including the Ati-ati of Ibajay town in Aklan.

Cheers from journalists

Western Visayas journalists have been waiting with bated breath the outcome of the murder complaint filed against Lezo, Aklan Mayor Alfredo Arcenio for the killing of popular broadcaster Herson Hinolan.

Hinolan was shot on Nov. 13, 2004 as he was urinating near the carnival grounds in the capital town of Kalibo. He died two days later.

Hinolan was from Talisay City of Negros Occidental. Thus, his killing jarred both Aklanons and Negrenses. It also was a major story for Iloilo. Hinolan was station manager of dyIN Bombo Radyo in Kalibo.

Thus, there was keen interest in the progress of the complaint filed on March 3, 2005 against Arcenio with the Aklan provincial prosecutor’s office.

Last Dec. 5, Assistant Regional State Prosecutor Virgilio Garcia ordered the filing of the charges for murder with treachery against Mayor Arcenio, a former Military Intelligence Group agent.

That amended the original homicide charge filed against the Lezo mayor.

Garcia cited the testimonies of prosecution witnesses Peter Melgar, Marjorie Icamina and Eddie Erata as bolstering the probable case for murder against Arcenio.

The Hinolan family’s lawyer, Napoleon Oducado, earlier questioned the provincial prosecutor’s findings. This prompted RTC Branch 2 to suspend Arcenio’s arraignment. It also ordered a reinvestigation of the case.

Garcia stressed that the shooting of Hinolan was not only attended with impunity but that "the act proceeded from a determined mind…"

The gunman also allegedly fired three successive shots at Hinolan who was unable to defend himself.

The prosecutor also dismissed the alibi of Mayor Arcenio that he was in Numancia and Lezo towns on Nov. 13, 2005 up to 3:30 p.m. the next day.

Alibi, he said, deserves the "barest consideration."

Now, all eyes of mediamen in the region and in the entire Philippines are focused on the progress of the case.

There have been more than 70 journalists killed in the country since EDSA 1. But there have been very few cases which reached the courts. That has earned the Philippines the reputation of being one of the most dangerous countries for media practitioners.

Perhaps, an early resolution of the case may redeem the country’s international image and of Filipino journalists being among the most endangered species.

‘C’ sugar released

As I mentioned in the previous column, some quarters among sugar producers raised a howl over the release by Administrator James Ledesma of the 40 percent reserved sugar stocks.

But the initial negative reaction soon subsided as the market tended to support the contention that it was intended not to allow a runaway millgate price of raw sugar to protect the consumers.

The move facilitated a favorable reaction from Negros Occidental Gov. Joseph Marañon who said he does not believe that Ledesma should resign from his post.

Marañon pointed out that he does not think producers should rock the boat as "Ledesma seems to be doing a good job" at the Sugar Regulatory Administration.

Sugar prices have gone up, he added, and Ledesma only wanted to prevent free-wheeling increases in sugar prices.

Confed Negros-Panay chapter chairman Jose Tongoy also defended Ledesma, pointing out that Ledesma’s move was timely considering that world sugar prices seem to continue to rise.

"As strange as it may sound, our domestic sugar prices are linked to world market prices," Tongoy said.

The president of the International Sugar Organization was quoted as forecasting a possible shortfall of one million metric tons of the table crystal. He cited that even Thailand, the biggest sugar supplier in the Far East, might clamp down on sugar exports because of the tight domestic supply.

World sugar prices have reached 14.69 cents per pound, or the equivalent of P1,000 per lkg.

"And the betting is that it may hit 16 cents per pound by the middle of the year," Tongoy added.

Ledesma said he lifted the "C" allocation to ensure that prices remain reasonably profitable to producers and fair to consumers.

If millgate prices exceed the P1,000 mark, he said, retail prices would also go up and affect the consumers.

Ledesma said that if prices of sugar went above P1,000, he would let them seek their own level in the market. He said this was previously agreed upon by the Sugar Alliance of the Philippines. This was confirmed by Enrique Rojas, president of the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters, and Reynaldo Bantug of the Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations Inc. (Confed).

Bantug said he is confident that prices will not change much with the removal of the "C" sugar because of the tightness of supply.

Also, if sugar is imported, it will have a landed cost of more than P1,000 per 50-kilogram bag, Bantug added.

Some sugar quarters simply can’t seem to be satisfied with the present prices, although earlier many had contended that they would be more than satisfied with P1,000 per lkg.