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The Manila Times


news SATURDAY S eptember 18, 2010


Philippine National Police in protecting their environment officers who are apprehending violators of an anti-littering regulation.


Betty Gendebe, chief of Health and Sanitation Services Coordina- tion and Assistance Division of the MMDA, revealed that soft drink bot- tles were thrown at her staff who were performing their duties at the premises Light Rail Transit Line 1 sta- tion at ESDA in Pasay City on Friday. “We will bring this to the atten- tion of [MMDA] Chairman Francis Tolentino to avoid further


■ LEAST FROM A1 Bacalzo case concerns DILG chief the least


in a bid to improve operations of Small Town Lottery (STL) and the department will submit its proposal to Malacañang by next week. Improvement of STL opera- tions is one of the solutions be- ing considered by the DILG in addressing the jueteng problem in the country.


Pitching in, Bacalzo also on


Friday imposed again the PNP’s long-standing “one-strike policy” against police officials who fail to eradicate jueteng in their areas of jurisdiction.


He said that the one-strike policy would be applied to all police chiefs of towns and cities up to the level of re- gional director or police pro- vincial commander. “Any police official found to


have jueteng operations in his area will be removed from his position. The liability can go as far as the regional director,” Bacalzo told a press conference. According to the PNP chief, tracker teams would be dis- patched all over the country, particularly in the Luzon area,


■ SUIT FROM A1


TV host Willie Revillame sued for P486 million


intensified after the broadcast giant filed a P486-million counterclaim against it former prized talent. ABS-CBN, responding to Revillame’s P11.5-million damage suit for alleged breach of contract, claimed that the Wowowee host violated terms of his contract and was liable to pay the multimillion counterclaim. “Plaintiff Revillame has no right under the agreement to unilaterally terminate or extrajudicially rescind the agreement [contract], this power being reserved solely and exclusively to defendant ABS-CBN,” the network said. In the damage suit, Revillame sought judicial recognition of his decision to end his contract with the broadcast network.


The noontime show host also claimed


that he had the right to terminate his contract with ABS-CBN after the network suspended him without pay and placed him under probation. But ABS-CBN said that Revillame was not the injured party in the case because it was he who materially breached his obligations and com- mitted several violations in the terms of his agreement with the broadcast giant.


Among the supposed violations committed by Revillame was made during an episode of Wowowee in 2009 where the TV host angrily reacted to live coverage of the funeral march for former President Corazon Aquino that was broadcast as an insert to his noontime show. ABS-CBN cited another episode of


Wowowee where Revillame asked the network to fire entertainment show host Jobert Sucaldito in connection with Sucaldito allegedly criticizing the noontime show host. It also claimed that Revillame had


taken an unauthorized leave of absence and refused to perform his obligation as talent, as required under his contract with the broadcast giant.


to monitor and pinpoint places where there are rampant jueteng operations.


The one-strike policy was first imposed in 2005 by then PNP chief Arturo Lomibao at the height of congressional investiga- tions of allegedly rampant jueteng operations in the country and of payola also allegedly received by members of the then First Fam- ily—the Arroyos—and govern- ment and police officials. Under the policy, a police com- mander will be sacked once jueteng operations are found in his area. On Wednesday, Bacalzo issued a memorandum declaring all-out war against illegal numbers games amid allegations that he is a jueteng protector.


In the memorandum, he or- dered all 17 PNP regional direc- tors to submit their comprehen- sive plans on stamping out ille- gal gambling in coordination with local governments and other stakeholders. The renewed drive against


jueteng came in the wake of rev- elations by retired Lingayen- Dagupan Archbishop Oscar


■ CRIMINAL FROM A1 Floyd faces 8 criminal complaints


In a three-page criminal complaint filed by Clark County District Attorney Roger David added two felony coercion and one felony robbery charge, along with one misdemeanor domestic battery and three misdemeanor harassment charges.


All eight charges carry a jail sentence of up to 34 years if Mayweather is convicted. Mayweather remained free on $3,000 bail pending his arraignment on November 9 following his arrest on Thursday on a felony grand larceny (theft) charge. David alleged in the complaint that Mayweather, 33, hit and threatened Harris, and threatened to beat two of their children during an early morning argument at Harris’ Las Vegas home last week. Mayweather, probably the


sport’s biggest draw, may never be able to fight again if convicted. Twice, promoters at- tempted but failed to package a super fight between Mayweather and reigning pound-for-pound world champion Manny Pacquiao in what could have been the biggest fight in boxing history. Now, Mayweather is facing the prospect of being immediately clamped into jail if one of the felony charges sticks, probably dooming a Pacquiao- Mayweather mega fight. If sentenced to prison,


Mayweather will become the third boxer in recent boxing history to be convicted. In 1992, former heavyweight titleholder Mike Tyson was convicted for sexually assaulting Desiree Washing- ton and served three years in prison. And in 2001, top heavy-


weight contender Ike Ibeabuchi was sentenced to two to 10 years for intent to


commit a crime, and three to 20 years for attempted sexual assault. He was denied parole three times for the second charge. In Philippine boxing


history, former junior lightweight champion Rolando Navarette was convicted in the mid-80s for sexual assault and served three years in a prison in Hawaii. Tyson and Navarette


never became world champions after their release from prison while Ibeabuchi will be in his late 30s once he is released from prison.


Freefall from fame The slapping of eight


criminal complaints against Mayweather was the latest twist in the boxer’s sometimes topsy- turvy run from fame to notoriety. Early this month, he unleashed a profanities-laced racist rant in a live video, calling prospective top oppo- nent Pacquiao a “whore,” a “yellow chump” and a “midget.” In May, the unbeaten


welterweight, who goes by the nickname “Money,” earned more than $20 million in one fight against “Sugar” Shane Mosley in Las Vegas.


In the charge sheet, the


district attorney said that Mayweather threatened to beat his sons Koraun and Zion if they called 9/11 or left the house. Koraun, 10, told police that he saw his father beating his mother, ran from the house, jumped over a security fence and reported the incident to a security guard. The other two felony charges against Mayweather, for grand larceny and robbery, are for allegedly entering Harris’ home without permission in the early-morning hours


of September 9, then taking her cell phone. In Nevada, coercion carries a penalty of one to six years, grand larceny one to five years, and robbery two to 15 years. According to a police report made public Tuesday, Mayweather grabbed Harris by the hair, hit her and twisted her arm and threatened to have her and her new boyfriend “taken care of.” She was later taken to Southern Hills Hospital where she was treated for slight facial bruises and a sore left arm, police said. Harris, 31, told the police


that Mayweather was upset about her relationship with another man, reported to be a professional basket- ball player. Mayweather and Harris


have three children, ages seven to 10. Mayweather has been arrested several times since 2002 in battery and violence cases in Las Vegas and in his hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 2002, he was convicted of misdemeanor battery after getting into a fight with two women at a Las Vegas nightclub. He received a suspended one-year jail sentence and was ordered to undergo counseling. In February 2005,


Mayweather was fined and ordered to perform commu- nity service after pleading no contest to misdemeanor assault and battery for a bar fight in Grand Rapids. And in July that same


year, he was acquitted by a Nevada jury after being accused of hitting and kicking Harris during an argument outside a Las Vegas nightclub. Harris, then 25, later recanted her charges and testified that she lied to police because she was angry Mayweather left her for another woman.


Cruz that two government of- ficials who are close to Presi- dent Benigno Aquino 3rd re- ceive P2 million a month in jueteng payola.


Cruz also claimed that the pay- off reaches top PNP officials in Camp Crame—the national po- lice headquarters—but did not name names. Earlier, a group claiming to be PNP junior officers came out with a manifesto linking Bacalzo to illegal gambling and illegal drugs. Bacalzo had denied the charges against him, saying that his assignments in the last nine years were all inside the PNP headquarters and they had nothing to do with the cam- paign against illegal gambling. He challenged his accusers bring the issue to the proper fo- rum or file formal charges against him in court. Also on Friday, the PNP chief got his fourth star, which offi- cially entitled him to the rank of police director general. President Aquino approved the promotion of Bacalzo to the highest rank in the police service


upon recommendation of the National Police Commission. Police Insp. Lyndon Espe of the Special Action Force, the young- est member of the PNP Officer Corps, administered the oath of office to Bacalzo in simple cer- emonies in Camp Crame. “I am humbled by this expres- sion of trust and confidence by President Aquino, in my modest personal achievements to deserve this promotion,” Bacalzo said. “My designation as [PNP chief] and promotion to the highest rank in the police serv- ice will serve as driving force that will motivate and inspire me more to pursue my mission the best of my ability,” he added. Bacalzo became the 16th chief of the PNP on Tuesday upon the early retirement of former Director General Jesus Verzosa on September 17. He is the first and the only leader of the national police who is a lawyer, ranking 12th in the 1984 Bar examinations with a rat- ing of 87.43 percent.


JEFFERSON ANTIPORDA AND WILLIAM B. DEPASUPIL


Enforcing anti-littering ordinance difficult T


BY SAMMY MARTIN REPORTER


HE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will seek the assistance of the


Pasay City police but we were ad- vised that they cannot send any [police] because all [of their] per- sonnel have been deployed,” Gendebe said.


injury,” Gendebe told The Manila Times in Filipino during a tel- ephone interview.


She narrated that while MMDA personnel were apprehending vio- lators in front of a food chain along Taft Avenue, several men believed to be vendors and bystanders posi- tioned themselves at a footbridge and threw softdrink bottles at them. “We tried to ask assistance from


She added that the MMDA per- sonnel were forced to leave the area to avoid further confrontation. Despite the incident, Gendebe said that the MMDA was able to apprehend on Friday more than 80 people for littering. This is on top of the 190 violators who were ap- prehended Thursday which is the first day of the enforcement of a 1996 MMDA regulation on littering. Those apprehended claimed that they were not aware of the anti-littering regulation or that their small pieces of trash fell ac- cidentally on the ground. MMDA Regulation Number 99- 006 approved in 1996, prohibits lit- tering, dumping and throwing of


garbage or any kind of waste in open or public places. It also requires all business establishments, public or private, to maintain the cleanliness of their frontages and immediate surroundings. Its implementation was suspended in 2003. Under the law, violators are is- sued a citation ticket with corre- sponding fines ranging from P500 to P1,000, or community service for those who cannot afford to pay the administrative fines.


Before the renewed enforcement of the MMDA regulation, the agency launched a massive information campaign to make the public aware that the anti-littering rule has been in effect since 1996. Information leaflets were also distributed in all public places like malls, rail stations and public transport bays. Tolentino said that they will con- tinue the anti-littering program un-


■ An advisory on the anti-littering drive of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority is posted outside the agency. PHOTO BY JESSIE LAURETA


til the public is aware that there is a regulation against littering. The accumulation of litter or solid


■ GENERATION FROM A1


Reintroducing books to young generation


teaching by example, because she believes in the importance of nurturing the kids’ early intuition to reading. “It’s very important in a way that you are passing on something that is intangible to them. Before I used to laugh at that but now that I am already a parent, I have understood and accepted that old saying more. The words of the wise are really better than the words of the young,” she told The Manila Times. Remorca and Marquee are among the thousand visitors to the 31st Manila International Book Fair (MIBF) at the SMX Convention Center, the longest-running book fair in the country where booklovers can indulge themselves in both books and temptation.


Filipinos and books Unlike other leisure activities or past


times such as listening to music, gambling, or watching TV, Filipinos don’t really have that reading culture. Reading books and spending bucks for such are considered a luxury, which mostly members of the middle to higher social class can take pleasure in. Despite the relatively little market,


National Book Development Board (NBDB) Officer in Charge Deputy Executive Director Edgardo Sabalvoro said that the local book publishing industry is “vibrant.” “The industry is vibrant because of a lot of factors, one is government leadership,” he said. A survey conducted by NBDB in 2007


revealed that among the 1,200 respond- ents from all over the country, 9 percent read while 80 percent of the total read non-school books, a 12 percent rise from the 68 percent non-school book-readers tallied in 2003. NBDB is a government agency which promotes readership by giving assistance to Filipino authors and locally-published books. Even Rosselle Marilag, Education and


Trade manager of Scholastic, the publisher of international best-selling children’s novels such as the Harry Potter series, 39 Clues and The Hunger Games trilogy, agrees. “In terms of readership, the book publishing industry is doing well,” she said. “A lot of kids now are into fantasy. We’re


happy because there’s always something new for the kids, for the readers. And for me it really doesn’t matter if it’s Scholastic or other publishers. But the idea is to get kids reading. So whatever it takes to get them to read, then it’s good for everyone,” Marilag said, stressing that one key in encouraging kids to read is by promoting a series. Creating books such as 39 Clues, which


combines interactive gaming, card collection and literature, makes most kids hooked to the ten-book series.


Challenge to publishers But Marilag said that the lack of access to books


is difficult for them to hurdle as publishers. “Access to books is a major factor because at the end of the day, it is still how much can they spend for books. We spend for fastfood, we always have budget for mobile phones but most of us don’t actually have a budget for books. That’s why we always think of ways to price down the books just so it can be made available for young readers,” she said. Sabalvoro, meanwhile, said that


competing with the emergence of ebooks is a great challenge for the NBDB. “The biggest challenge is how the Philippine publishing industry will ride on the e-book market or how the government,


the local publishing industry and the private sector can plan on how to exploit that electronic market,” he said. But as for Scholastic, they try to


find ways in reaching out to the digital generation. “We look for ways by which we can


connect to our readers. There are ways and that’s the challenge for publishers, there’s no point for you to publish [children’s] books which children won’t read,” Sabalvoro said.


She added that the NBDB recognizes the significance of helping local authors by providing them trust funds and financial assistance from the government. “The whole value chain starts with the


content creators, the writers. Without the authors, who will provide us with contents? That’s why it is important to give value to our authors,” Sabalvoro added. The NBDB has also done several projects


to support both readers and authors such as tapping local talents for campaign poster appearances, giving out awards to deserving authors, developing the potential of school librarians by equipping them with skills, providing incentives to authors and government-author partnership. The Tulaan sa Tren and Buklatan sa Bayan


are also projects of the NBDB which brings literature and books closer to the public.


Encouraging kids to read But in this era of the computer and the


Internet, most kids burn their time in front of the computer while playing video games. This makes them slowly lose interest in books. The storyteller Remorca said that


from experience, she learned that competing with new technology would not figure out the maze. “I have to be honest that Marquee is also


into new technologies. We are in the digital age already and you cannot compete with that. So what we do is we don’t compete but we use that as tools to lead them to reading,” she said.


Her personal gadget has been installed with e-book version of children’s tales and after Marquee has enjoyed reading it from her gadget; she also reads the hardbound copy of the book Alice in Wonderland. Marilag of Scholastic also believes that


one reason why kids don’t really enjoy reading is “because they’ve had bad experiences with books.” She said that by directly partnering with parents and librarians as well as by making reading a fun experience, they are able to encourage kids into reading. “In the library, it’s full of textbooks, the


shelves are really high and the librarian will tell you to keep silent. It’s not a friendly place. So for us, we put a really nice place. We put cushions, carpet, there are prizes. We try to give children extrinsic motivation to read and on top of that we also talk to teachers and librarians,” she said. The 31st MIBF is a great way of


showcasing hundreds and thousands of books to Filipinos, and young parent Olie Mataragnon has maximized the opportu- nity of engaging quality bonding time with her kids and leading them to reading. “We have been visiting the annual book fair for five years now. And so far the kids are enjoying. We almost spent P3,000 for this year’s book fair and we are looking forward to more enjoyment in this event,” she said. The 31st MIBF gathered several publishers which offer books of different genres and for various audiences at a discounted price. The annual endeavour kicked off September 15 and will last until September 19.


waste on the streets eventually end up in the waterways which cause floods during heavy rains or typhoons.


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