DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Davao City Vice Rodrigo Duterte defended the decision of the city council to override the veto of his daughter Sara, who is mayor, of the ordinance reclassifying land in Barangay Binugao from protected medium industrial zone to protected heavy industrial zone to allow the construction of a proposed 300-megawatt coal-fired power plant.

The elder Duterte said the override was expected because the council had already voted in favor of the power plant.

“They voted in favor of the project before, it is expected that they will override it (veto). Do you think they will change their minds?” Duterte told reporters.   Continue reading »

On Monday, 21 councilors voted to override Mayor Sara Duterte’s veto of an ordinance reclassifying a parcel of land in Barangay Binugao, Toril District from protected medium industrial zone to protected heavy industrial zone, to allow Aboitiz Power Corp. to construct a 300-megawatt coal-fired power plant.

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/12 December) — Twenty-one councilors voted on Monday to override Mayor Sara Duterte’s veto of an ordinance reclassifying a parcel of land in Barangay Binugao, Toril District from protected medium industrial zone to protected heavy industrial zone, to allow Aboitiz Power Corp. to construct a 300-megawatt coal-fired power plant.

While the session was going on, some 200 protesters had already gathered in front of the City Council building to protest against the establishment of the coal-fired power plant. Continue reading »

Last week, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte scrapped the ordinance seeking for land reclassification for the establishment of the 300-megawatt plant in Barangay Binugao in Toril District.

DAVAO CITY—Citing studies of the damage a coal-fired power plant could bring, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio junked the ordinance seeking for land reclassification for the establishment of the 300-megawatt plant in Barangay Binugao in Toril District in this city.

Duterte-Carpio said the project is prejudicial to the general welfare of the public, adding that she was “disturbed with the environmental and health implications resulting from the operation of the project.”

On November 15 the city council passed Ordinance 0200-11 Series of 2011 reclassifying the area for the proposed 300-megawatt coal-fired power plant project. The move was made upon the request of the Aboitiz Power Corp.

In her three-page message obtained by this writer, the mayor said: “The subject measure is hereby vetoed pursuant to Section 55 [a] of Republic Act 7160 on the ground that the same is prejudicial to public welfare.” Continue reading »

Some vendors in Agdao Market, Davao City brought TV sets to watch the Pacquiao-Marquez fight. At around 9am, some vendors are already glued on the TV watching the undercard fights.  One of the meat vendors noted that the market goers flock in Agdao as early as 5am until 8am.

In the meat section, I also noticed that only few stocks of meat were left. The vendor said they only butchered one pig because they are afraid that they wont be able to sell all the pork by lunchtime.

Normally, from 5am to 9am is the busiest time every Sunday in Agdao market.  But this morning, it was not an unsual Sunday in Agdao.

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/21 October) – Three of the 19 government soldiers slain in Basilan on Tuesday have been transported to their respective hometowns in Mindanao, with their comrades rendering military honors upon the arrival of their remains at the tarmac of the old Davao International Airport.

Aside from the 19 casualties, 14 other soldiers were wounded in the firefight in Al-Barka town.

Jennifer Mabalot, widow of Sgt. Bonfiacio Mabalot, told reporters that she was not blaming anyone for the death her husband and his comrades.

Mabalot, a mother of four the youngest of whom is nine-months old, said she has already accepted the death of her 34-year old husband since it was part of his job of as a soldier. Continue reading »

[slidepress gallery='motox2011']

Kadayawan 2011 Motocross in Davao Riverfront Complex

Every week, garbage pile up at a vacant lot in front of our house especially a day before or two days before the scheduled pick up day, which is every Thursdays.

Last week, garbage collectors left a pile of unsegregated garbage. I have no choice but to douse it with diesel and burn it to prevent flies from feasting on the biodegradable materials.

Since the implementation of the Waste Segregation Ordinance in the city, garbage collectors are leaving the biodegradable wastes in the vacant lot. Then we noticed  the increase of flies in our surroundings.

In our case in Emily Homes, there should be a pick up point so that the residents would only dump their garbage in the designated area instead of leaving them anywhere.

The barangay officials should conduct  a symposium among its constituents regarding this policy. It is not enough to simply announce it on radio or TV.

Since Cabantian is a home to many subdivisions,   the barangay should visit these subdivisions and inform the residents.  I’m sure this is not just a problem in Emily Homes, this is also a problem in other subdivisions.

Who is telling these people when and where to dump their garbages? It’s the garbage collectors! Is this already part of their job to inform the people?

Just this morning, a garbage collector lectured some residents that they should not leave their garbage anywhere. Instead, they should wait for the garbage truck to arrive since it is blowing its horn as a signal that the garbage truck is in the vicinity.

It’s not just the residents  living near this vacant lot turned into a mini-dumpsite suffer this foul smell and pestering flies, it’s also the people passing by the street.

The barangay must deploy monitoring teams in subdivisions in coordination with the housing association presidents. I learned that the barangay has coordinated with the local purok leaders in the subdivisions to report violators. But it seems no one is monitoring the implementation of the policy.

Ang usa pud ka problema ani kay ang mga tag-balay, dili man nila ingnon pud ila katabang na hulaton ang truck. Karon, kinsa man pud masakpan kung naa na manakop, di ba ang katabang dili ang amo?

To Kapitan Joji Lumanog, our future city councilor, isn’t it hard to exert extra efforts to educate your constituents?

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/01 July) – Apparently incensed by the refusal of her request to delay the demolition of houses owned by informal settlers in a barangay here, Mayor Sara Duterte hit a court sheriff with a couple of punches in full view of residents and reporters.

Prior to it, a police officer and three others persons had been injured after the demolition this morning at Purok Soliman in Barangay Tomas Monteverde Sr. resulted in a scuffle when some residents offered resistance.

The violence prompted Duterte to punch court sheriff Abe Andres who was trying to enforce the demolition order on informal settlers in a 2,000-square meter land.

TV cameras were able to get footage of Duterte hitting Andres who just turned his back and tried to cover his face as the mayor’s aides tried to stop her.

Duterte admitted that she was unable to control her temper because the sheriff turned down her request to give her two hours before enforcing the demolition because she was still in Barangay Matina attending to the concerns of the flood victims.

“I have earlier requested the court that we will enforce the demolition order together because the residents will not follow any orders from the court except from the mayor,” she told reporters.

For humanitarian reasons, Duterte said she requested for the two-hour extension, or until 11a.m., so that she could still hold a dialogue with the residents before enforcing the demolition order. She added no violence could have ensued had the sheriff listened to her.

She, however, clarified that she did not order a stop to the demolition that would affect 220 families, but only wanted to have it enforced Continue reading »