SINCE it’s within the bounds of law or specifically it’s what the Local Government Code mandates, Caloocan City Mayor Oscar “Oca” Malapitan must just be right to appoint the successor of a village chief who went into hiding after allegedly shooting a man dead at dawn of July 11, 2013.
By July 25, Mayor Oca says he’ll be appointing the only successor to Barangay 136 Chairman Othello Ocampo, who is none other than the village’s Number. 1 kagawad or councilman.
He’s Doreco Nopal.
Ocampo’s whereabouts is still unknown, according to deputy police chief Supt. Ferdie del Rosario, who is its concurrent spokesperson. He says Ocampo, facing murder charges, may eventually be wanted by law as soon as the court issues a warrant of arrest on him.
“It would have been better for Chairman Ocampo if he turns himself over to the authorities in order to clear his name instead of hiding from law,” Col. Del Rosario says.
On one hand, Malapitan said he is now compelled to carry out what the law mandates as he is after the welfare of the residents in the affected barangay.
“We have to act on this immediately because the welfare of the barangay and all its residents would be the ones directly affected by this void in leadership,” says the mayor.
Heightened Volunteerism
In Navotas, Mayor John Rey Tiangco established a special program aimed at encouraging more residents to become volunteers and direct partners of the local government in carrying out projects and activities for their interest and the city.
In fact, he comes out with an executive order which calls for the creation of the Volunteer and Citizenship Program headed by Danilo Dar Santos, currently Barangay Affairs and Community Relations Office chief.
The mayor hopes to encourage more residents to work hand-in-hand with them especially in its cleanliness campaign with focus on clearing clogged canals and other waterways.
Tiangco says: “Naniniwala po tayo na sa pamamagitan ng boluntaryong pagbibigay ng oras at tulong ng mga Navoteño tulad ng regular na clean-up sa mga barangay, mas lalong magiging maunlad ang lungsod sa aspeto ng kalinisan at iba pa.”
Biazon’s Concern for Public Schools
BUREAU of Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon hopes to address the shortage of armchairs in public schools when he donates some 545,000 board feet of seized lumber materials to the Technical Education Services and Development Authority.
To his estimate, about 45,000 new arm chairs for public schools can be made out of those donated lumber that were confiscated since last year up to the present in the provinces of Davao, Cagayan de Oro and Agusan del Norte.
“The seizures of these lumber materials have definitely affected the operations of these illegal logging syndicates.
“And I guarantee to all those who may still be thinking of trying this type of illicit trade that the Bureau of Customs will always be here to stop and prosecute them,” warns Biazon.
