'Kill Duterte Plot" Scares Bilibid VIPs

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Philippine Daily Inquirer

By: Jerome Aning 

Sixteen of the so-called “VIP inmates” at New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City—some of them convicted of drug cases—denied on Wednesday that they were plotting to assassinate President-elect Rodrigo Duterte and incoming Philippine National Police head, Chief Supt. Ronald de la Rosa.

READ: Bounty for Duterte et al. now P1B

“We are not involved in this plot, if it [is] really true. We are afraid that this might be a way of ‘public conditioning’ so that we will be eventually silenced and the corruption that happened here inside NBP in the previous administration [will] be concealed,” they said in a letter sent to Justice Secretary Emmanuel Caparas through their lawyer Ferdinand Topacio.

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The letter was from Jaime Patcho, German Agojo, Mario Tan, Jerry Pepino, Engelberto Durano, Rodel Castellano, Tomas Donina, Noel Martinez, Eustaquio Cenita, Herbert Colangco, Jojo Baligad, Clarence Dongail, Rico Caja, Joel Capones, Gilberto Salguero and Edgar Sayo Cinco.

Of the 16 inmates, six—Agojo, Durano, Martinez, Colangco, Baligad and Capones—were among the 19 prisoners moved in 2014 from the NBP to the National Bureau of Investigation  compound. This was after a raid led to the discovery of contraband such as money, drugs and luxury items, including a jacuzzi, inside their well-furnished “kubol” or quarters inside the prison. They were returned to the NBP last year but taken to Building 14, a highly secure and tightly guarded structure isolated from the 13 other buildings within the prison compound.

In their letter, the convicts said their transfer may be a prelude to their liquidation because of what they knew about the protection racket of previous NBP officials.

“[S]uch purported ‘conspiracy’ may even be intentionally exploited or taken advantage of as an excuse to silence them as they have, in the past, intimated on their knowledge on the dishonest and corrupt practices by the past administration,” Topacio said.

The letter was accompanied by a three-page handwritten petition signed by the prisoners who protested their being labelled as “high profile inmates” or drug lords and crime lords.  They also denied plotting to kill Duterte or De la Rosa.

“Our being labeled as ‘high-profile inmates’ has no basis and the truth is we are protesting this before the court and Commission on Human Rights as this is but part of the harassment being done to us in connection with the controversy over the protection racket under [NBP’s] previous administration that benefit the real crime lords here,” they said.

Topacio blamed “rumors being spread and fueled by unscrupulous individuals” as part of the conditioning of the mind of the public “such that any untoward incident that may happen to the prisoners in Building 14 may be unduly justified as related to the supposed ‘conspiracy’” against Duterte and De la Rosa.

De la Rosa recently claimed that millions of pesos had been offered as a reward by drug lords detained at the NBP who wanted him and Duterte dead. This was in response to Duterte’s vow to eliminate the drug problem in the first six months of his administration.

Cebu Classic Youth Orchestra Marks Debut Concert

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By: Jaime Picornell, Philippine Daily Inquirer Cebu City

The Classical Orchestra Music Studio of Reynaldo Abellana launched the Classic Youth Orchestra (CYO) on May 29 at the Centerstage theater of SM Seaside City Cebu. All 800 seats of the theater were filled by a crowd that  kept streaming in, even between numbers.

Reynaldo Abellana himself conducted the evening’s program. It started with internationally acclaimed pianist Ingrid Sala Santamaria as soloist of Edvard Grieg’s “Piano Concerto in A Minor Opus 16.”

She looked very glamorous in candy pink and throughout the 29 minutes the concerto lasted remained well poised as she tinkled away on a Lyric baby grand piano. Since the theater has very good acoustics, every note from the piano, and the orchestra, rang out crystal-clear.

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Ingrid was given a standing ovation and there were enthusiastic  cheers of “Bravo!” and “Great!” For her, and for Reynaldo.

In this debut concert everyone in the music studio was featured in the program. There were Little Fiddlers doing “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” and the CYO Junior Ensemble delighted everyone with three minutes of Bach.

More delightful music came from the CYO as they played three lively compositions by Leroy Anderson—“The Syncopated Clock (which has witty lyrics),” “Fiddle Faddle” and “The Waltzing Cat,” complete with meowing. There was thunderous applause for the them from “Superman,”  and for an overture of Filipino favorite songs.

Baritone Kelie Go Co

Next in the spotlight was  baritone Kelie Go Co, who was accompanied by the full orchestra as he rendered  “Tonight” from “West Side Story,”  then “Granada” by the Mexican composer Agustin Lara.

The program concluded with the whole CYO and the Cebu Normal University Chorale, conducted by Darlene Yap, performing “Light of a Million Mornings” and “One Day More.” The audience demanded more and it was given.

Back on stage, Ingrid Santamaria gave the closing remarks. She recalled how the Salvador and Pilar Sala Foundation, which she headed, embarked on a music development program for young people in 1991.

The result was the Cebu Youth Symphony Orchestra, which in 2000, became the Peace Philharmonic. Reynaldo Abellana was among the young people who benefited from the program. What Ingrid and the Sala Foundation sowed 25 years ago has now come into full bloom.

CYO members

At the end of the evening everyone involved was called to the stage to take a well-deserved bow, as audiences clapped nonstop. Here are the members of the Classical Youth Orchestra:

Violin 1—Paul Gilbert Ramos (concertmaster), Bruce Albert Lim, Paean Banday, Al Gabrielle Valendez, Lord Lyrzand Padua, Patricia Ang, Kurt Dominic Yu, Jon Alexander Llenes, Nestor Valendez,  Cecile Angela Abellana (Ray and Geraldine’s daughter)

Violin 2—Nicole Yap (principal), Jan Russ Esmeralda, Nicole Villahermosa, Queen Riza Montayre, Haydn Marie Beltran, Sophia Colimbo, Mariz Trinidad, Sean Benedict Hong, Seung Hung Baik.

Viola—Arthur Yap (principal), Carlitos Adarna, Grant Lim, Joshua Bandala, Hans Theo Grado, Samantha Yap, Johanni Marie Beltran, Jag Lastimosa, Gabriel Julian,  Gimar Hontiveros

Cello—Jaque Mabalcon (principal), Doxa Banday, Reina Tigley, Mary Pauline Ramos, Kurh Daugdaug, Svelte Paragat Arfil Yongco, Stephanie Cabasan, Karol Josef Mabalcon, Samuel Colimbo,  Stephen Villarante.

Double bass—Deny Padua (principal), France Mabalcon,  Benedict Villarante.

Bassoon—Arthur Yap

Flute—James Vincent Natera (principal), Yoni Valendez, Yoolim Na, King Joshua Montayre,  Jan Rose Esmeralda.

Clarinet—Cartlle Mindalano

Trombone—Jann Rhoe Esmeralda

Percussion—Mariella Bugtai, and Louie Bugtai

Arthur John Dale Yap is the conductor of the CYO Junior Ensemble.

Part of the Junior Ensemble includes: Violin 1—Frances Ylaya, Keifer Ababon; Violin 2—Hubertson Egonia, Yjhurri Requiero,  Paula Ramos; Cello—Harlane Egonia;  Flute—Shelter Anne Hernando.

Among the Little Fiddlers are Gabriela and Savannah Llenes, Ana and Deanna Llenes, Annika Virtudazo and Nestor Valendez.

Guest musicians in this concert were: Trumpet—Warren Perez and Stephen Sable;  Trombone—Caroline Go and Masaaki Nagata; French horn—Jesus Sable and Umi Aoki; Violin—Jerone Nakila; Viola—Kazuo Eujara.

In the COMS faculty Reynaldo Abellana teaches violin and viola, while his wife Geraldine teaches flute and piccolo. Also in the faculty are the following:

Cello—Roger Ylaya; Double Bass—Jerome Rezaba; Bassoon/Guitar/Oboe—Christopher Tero; Cello—Jibbie Rose Arciga; Piano—John Manatad; Percussion—Simon Cereño; Trumpet—Ritzie Amaya; Trombone—Bjorn Gaviola.

On this occasion Ingrid invited to Cebu her dear friends Antonio Hila (who covers cultural events for

Inquirer), prominent banker Maurice Lim (in his first visit to Cebu) and Oskar de Hitta.

The opportunity to meet them came over Sunday brunch at the Cebu City Marriott Hotel. Ingrid took them on a tour of historic sites and Cebu landmarks, which they enjoyed very much.

Near Oslob: Another Vessel Stucks

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ELIAS O. BAQUERO and 

OSCAR C. PINEDA

Rose in reef. A salvaging company will try to move today the mv Bell Rose (photo) from the reef it struck when it ran aground off Malapascua last Monday. (Capitol Public Information Office Foto)

ANOTHER vessel ran aground in Cebu’s seas, this time near Luisan point in Nueva Caceres, Oslob, Cebu at 1:30 p.m. last Jan. 15.

The vessel, LCT 788 of Seen Sam Shipping, ran aground while on its way from Naga City to Toledo City. The accident came two days after a foreign vessel, the mv Belle Rose, ran aground five nautical miles off Malapascua Island in Daanbantayan, Cebu.

In the LCT 788’s case, however, its captain and crew managed to move the vessel after 30 minutes. The Belle Rose remains in place.

A team from the Capitol and a salvaging company will try to remove the Belle Rose today, Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III announced. The ship owner is willing to settle the damage amicably, he said.

Commander Agapito “Butch” Bibat, chief of the Coast Guard’s Cebu Station, said that officials from the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported to the Oslob police that LCT 788 ran aground and may have damaged the underwater environment.

Bibat said that the DA and the police prevented the vessel from departing pending an investigation by the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) and the Coast Guard.

Bibat said that Marina conducted an underwater inspection the other day, and that Marina 7 then issued a Certificate of Seaworthiness to LCT 788.

He said that the DA also reported there was no damage to marine life.

Based on Marina’s certification, Bibat said they cleared the vessel to sail for Toledo City to load vehicles and other rolling cargo.

Spill

Meanwhile, the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) 7 is still waiting for the consolidated report of its team before announcing the results of its investigation and recommendations on a reported oil spill in the tourism area of Moalboal, Cebu.

EMB 7 Director William Cunado said that their technical team took water samples from the shoreline of Bas Diot, as well as the Pescadores North, West, South and East stations.

Of the five sampling stations, Pescadores North, West and East failed to pass the sampling standard of 1mg/L.

“As per our laboratory analysis dated June 14-15, 2016, the said three sampling stations revealed two mg/L of oil and grease,” Cunado said.

But Cunado said they cannot yet make a conclusion and recommendation unless the consolidated report of the technical team will be submitted to EMB 7 and tackled thoroughly.

In Malapascua, drivers inspected the site to figure out the best way to move away from the reef the vessel Belle Rose, which is still carrying 48,000 metric tons of clinker, which is used in manufacturing cement.

Compensation

Right after the dive, lawyer Pedrito Faytaren Jr. said that the local council, mostly those who attended the emergency meeting last June 16, will again meet in Malapascua to approve the final salvage plan. He represents Salvor Marine Towage.

Governor Davide said that the joint group will take advantage of the highest tide between June 15 and 18.

A marine protest will still be pursued, but the Province is open to a compromise settlement to avoid a drawn-out investigation, Davide said.

“As far as compensation for damage, the vessel’s owner is willing to pay,” he told reporters yesterday.

Diving and marine experts will be at the site when the ship is removed, Davide said, so they can immediately assess the damage it caused.

He said the ship owner has to pay for the damage to the corals, based on the assessment done by a marine biologist from the University of San Carlos, Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resource (BFAR) and Atty. Ben Cabrido, an environment lawyer and advocate.

“I can assure Daanbantayan, especially those from Malapascua, that they will be compensated for the damage brought about by the ship,” the governor said.

The Panama-registered Belle Rose cut through bed of corals 10 meters underwater, located four nautical miles southeast of the island of Malapascua, at 3 a.m. last June 13. The ship was reportedly trying to avoid fishermen when it ran aground.

Coming from a port in Tsukumi, Japan, the ship is carrying clinkers bound for San Fernando town in Cebu, where two cement factories operate.