Olongapo pawnshop robbers charged

Six suspected robbers who carted off some P3 million worth of jewelry and cash from the Anne Raquel Pawnshop have been charged with robbery before the City Prosecutor's Office here.

City police director Senior Supt. Orlando Maddela, Jr. identified the suspects as Paul Batong, of 59 Emmaculate St., Cubao, Quezon City; Julio Biag, of Barangay Ocab, Itugon, Benguet; William Sibain, of Maria Basa Pacdal, Baguio City; Wilbur Cambud, of Naminam Batol, Santiago, Isabela; Mael Reyes, of Moonwalk, Las Pinas City; and Domingo Dawi, of Camp Allen, Baguio City.

Reports said Joseph Manabet and Imelda De Vera, receptionists of the hotel, positively identified the suspects as the ones who robbed the pawnshop. Police probers recovered at the pawnshop carpentry equipment and an acetylene torch

Volunteers Celebrates 12th Anniversary

In an emotional reunion inside the Subic Freeport, Subic Volunteers celebrated the 12th year anniversary of their sacrifices to ensure the success of the freeport.

The volunteers gave a manifesto of support to the new SBMA Chairman Antonio Licuanan, SBMA Administrator Freddie Antonio and Sr Deputy Administrator Jose Calimlim.

The presence of the person who was the inspiration of the volunteers, Senator Richard J. Gordon made the day complete for the volunteers who felt having been treated as outcasts by the previous administration of payumo.

For the first time since the death of former SBMA COO Ferdinand Aristorenas, a fitting tribute/ceremony was held near theVolunteers' Monument to honor his contributions to the success of the freeport.

The Volunteers thanked the new SBMA Officials for the hospitality and renewed hope given to the "original investors of Subic."

Former GMA publicist bags Subic deal

A FORMER publicist of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo successfully negotiated a contract to develop a 2.5-hectare property inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone at a monthly rent of P15 per square meter, according to documents obtained by the Inquirer.

But Dante Ang said he was suspending the project amid suspicions that the contract was a sweetheart deal.

Critics of the contract described it as a sweetheart deal with Payumo since the lease rate that the SBMA would receive from Ang's project was just one-fifth of prevailing lease rates inside the freeport . . . . .

Inquirer News Service
By Antonio Bergonia (follow link for more detail)

Mass Land Titling Project in Olongapo City

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) agreed to carry out a land valuation at a lower cost for landowners here who want to have their lands titled in their names.
This development came about after Environment Secretary Mike Defensor recently visited Mayor James Gordon Jr., a former colleague in the House of Representatives, and assured that the environment department would lower the titling cost to those who own rights to lands within the city proper.

After discussing the mechanics of the land-titling project with Gordon, Defensor agreed to use a land valuation that would be affordable to Olongapo residents.

The grand launching of the project will be held at the Olongapo City Convention Center today.

City hall officials said the department’s assistance will benefit many residents because as much as 80 percent of lands in the city have no title to this day.

An earlier land-titling program carried out in the city was reportedly not very successful because of a lot of problems as well as the high cost of processing the application for a land title.
Officials say these problems have now been eliminated.

The land-titling program, launched by Gordon, who became a three-term representative of the First District a few months after he was elected mayor, has received a lot of inquiries from residents who want to have their lots titled, and the recent incentive extended by the DENR is expected to further encourage more landowners to join.

Jimmy Mendoza, a staff member of the city administrator’s office appointed by the mayor to head the project, said an objective of the land-titling project was to enable city residents to use their lands as collateral for bank loans.

“Many businessmen in the city sometimes have difficulty in infusing capital into their business ventures because the banks refuse to provide them loans for their lands that have no titles,” Mendoza said. Mendoza said Gordon hopes city residents can avail of more capital to use for their businesses which will result in more economic activity for Olongapo

By Patrick Roxas, MT Central Luzon Bureau Chief

Starting to dredge Subic Bay?

Without the appropriate permit from DENR EMB, this picture taken from Leyte Wharf (Nov 12, 2004) suggests that the port project may have been illegaly initiated.

GMA gaves additional powers to Calimlim

President Arroyo said in a GMA7 interview that she is "halfway through writing" the additional powers of Jose Calimlim, board member of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and president of the Subic Freeport Services Inc, as head of an anti-smuggling task force.

"He knows who he is going after. They're big names and he is already putting his team together including a revamp of the customs in Subic," she said.