By Jason De Asis

BALER, Aurora-The Philippine Army’s 91st Infantry “Sinagtala” Battalion lined-up the conduct of integrational training with the 307 Community Defense Center (CDC), Aurora Ready Reserve Infantry Battalion (ARRIBn), Philippine Army to intensify interoperability towards territorial defense on Saturday, Oct. 28.

Lt. Col. Julito B. Recto, Jr., commander of 91st IB said that the integration training for every muster was already arranged for Aurora Reservist. The battalion commander said that a mustering was conducted together with 91IB Staff Officers, Battalion Sergeant Major, Battalion First Sergeant and the 307th Ready Reserve Battalion (RRIBns), led by 2nd Lieutenant Megg Cortes, Deputy Director, 307CDC.

“We want to strengthen the interoperability of our ready reserved units and regular forces under our area of operation (AO) as mandated by the 7th Infantry “Kaugnay” Division to strengthen our territorial defense. We are wholeheartedly willing to share our skills and expertise since they are our partners in humanitarian missions, protecting our people, securing our land towards peace and development among others. We are also sharing our resources (allocations) as a gesture of our dedication, commitment and sacrifices to fulfil the mission,” Recto said.

He added that the 91st IB will teach the reservist on how to be familiarized and exposed in guns, marksmanship fundamentals, improve their ability to load and shoot accurately; intelligence training, process information, info collection; other military equipment and communications; Disaster Response and Rescue Operations (DRRO); among others.

Aside from training, Recto pointed out the importance of regular meeting, accountability, commitment, leadership, followership of the officers and non-commission officers in the reserve force. An open forum was also held at the home of 91st IB, Laang Sibol, Camp Jaime P. Bitong Sr., Barangay Calabuanan, Baler, Aurora.

CITY OF MALOLOS—More Bulacan officials are now against the conversion  of the City of San Jose del Monte (CSJDM) into a Highly Urbanized City (HUC) as majority from the total 615 top positions in the Provincial Government of Bulacan (PGB), league of municipalities and cities and barangays expressed STRONG opposition and strongly push for “One Bulacan” compared with 144 pro “YES”.  

More than 470 from these 615 top officials composed of 20 from PGB led by Gov. Daniel Fernando, Vice Gov. Alex Castro and 18 board members; 450 out of Bulacan”s total 572 barangay captains and at least one out of the 24 Bulacan mayors support no. 

The 144 yes come from around 120 barangay  officials from the towns of Plaridel, Paombong, Norzagaray and Cities of Baliwag and Meycauayan and the other 23 mayor members of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines and League of Cities of the Philippines Bulacan chapters. 

The governor early this week made known his stand on the issue. In an official statement in his social media page, he said that he wants the people to decide under the principle of democracy but he is unhappy and disappointed over the move of CSJDM to fully separate from the province.  

“There is no father who will be happy if his son will drift apart. This is painful to me. My prayer and desire is for Bulacan to always be united as one”.

“Mula Noon Pa Man ay Aking Sinabi. Let the people decide. Sapagkat ito ang diwa ng demokrasya. Know the issues, then vie wisely. “patungkol sa mga katanungan kung ano ang aking panig sa mungkahing paghiwalay ng CSJDM sa lalawigan ng Bulacan, ito ang aking masasabi” Walang ama na magiging masaya kapag nawalay amg anak. Ito ay masakit para sa akin. Dalangin ko sa tuwina ay Isang Sambayanang Bulakenyong Buo at Nagkakaisa”.

He encouraged every Bulakenyo to know the issues and vote wisely.

Board Member Ramil Capistrano, president of the federation of Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) in 20 towns and four component cities in Bulacan said that some 450 from 572 village chairs in 17 out of 20 towns—Sta. Maria, Hagonoy, Pulilan, Angat, Balagtas, Marilao, San Miguel, Bocaue, Guiguinto, Calumpit, Donya Remedios Trinidad (DRT), Bustos, San Rafael, Bulakan, San Ildefonso, Pandi, Obando and one from three other component cities–City of Malolos  all expressed “No” to the bid. 

Capistrano led other officials and members in stressing their “NO” stand during a recent series of meetings as they supported the “One Bulacan” thrust of Fernando.

Capistrano said, the village officials who support “no” are far more in numbers compared with the whole 23 other Bulacan mayors who support “yes”. 

The 20 member League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) Bulacan chapter headed by Bocaue Mayor Eduardo Villanueva Jr. including Mayors Ferdie Estrella of City of Baliwag, Henry Villarica of City of Meycauayan and City of Malolos Mayor Christian Natividad, the three other component cities other than the CSJDM earlier signed a manifesto of support to the HUC bid of the CSJDM. 

But, a mayor in the third district who earlier signed the manifesto now campaigns for no among his constituents.

The mayor said that he was earlier pro yes but now that Fernando has already expressed his sentiments of losing the CSJDM, he need to be where the governor is. 

“Before I will become a good leader, I have first to be a good follower,” he told NEWS CORE at his office on Friday.

Reports have reached the Capitol that many from other mayors who signed the said manifesto are now contemplating to support no in favor of the governor.

Former Bulacan Governors Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado and Roberto Pagdanganan also elso expressed opposition and strongly pushed for the “One Bulacan” thrust and policy they started in the Capitol and in the whole province during their time.

Bulacan’s 2,099,914 registered voters will vote either yes or no in the plebiscite also set in today’s Oct. 30 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Election (BSKE). 

“A one minute social media vlog from “Laban ng Ordinaryong San Josenyo” which asked residents of the CSJDM if they are already ready to become an HUC and cites numerous disadvantages of the bid started to went viral.

“Ang tanong mga ka-San Josenyo, kaya na ba natin, kaya na ba nating hindi na tayo magpapasakop sa Provincial Government ng Bulacan (PGB)?” (The question for us fellow San Josenos is, are we ready to become an HUC? Can we already stand on our own as an independent city and no longer under the care of the PGB?), the vlog said.  

The male voice on the vlog explains that CSJDM’s full independence will deprive San Josenos of being constituents of the province of Bulacan where they can lose their right to vote for the positions in the provincial level like governor, vice governor and board members and they also can no longer run for the said positions.

The vlog also tells San Josenos that if the CSJDM separates from the province, the basic social health services they receive from the PGB such as scholarship education, medical and burial assistance and other financial assistance, help and support including for Persons With Disability (PWD) and solo parents they are receiving will all be stopped. More so, the vlog said, they will no longer be a priority patient in Bulacan Medical Center, the premier government hospital in the province.

“Hindi na tayo magiging priyoridad sa Bulacan Medical Center (BMC) na kung saan ay nakakakuha tayo ng discount at may mga pagkakataong nalilibre pa”.

The infrastructure projects PGB also provides to the CSJDM like multi-purpose hall or building, school buildings, covered courts will also be stopped.

Losing cultural identity

A pamphlet on No to HUC and promoting “ONE BULACAN Sapagkat ang SAN JOSENO ay Pusong BULAKENYO” also started to spread out in the province.

The material also includes the cultural identity of being a Bulakenyo that will also die down when the CSJDM becomes an HUC.

District 2 City Councilor Romeo Agapito also earlier expressed deep sentiments of being separated from Bulacan, the roots of his ancestors. He said the intention of the HUC is eventually to later be a part of Metro Manila. “ Kakaunti na lang kaming natives na Bulakenyo dito sa San Jose, nasa mahigit na lang 25% kami at mas marami na sa amin, nasa mahigit 75% ang mga dating Informal settlers from Metro Manila na dito lang sa amin nanirahan, pero mas pinipili pa nilang maging mga taga Metro Manila, kung kami lang, maninindigan kaming Bulakenyo sa aming kultura, kasaysayan at sa aming topograpiya, hindi kami magpapalit ng lugar na kiinasasakupan. Hindi malayo niyan gumaya na ang mga mauunlad ding bayan sa Bulacan at sumama na rin sa Metro Manila. Ano pa ang maiiwan sa ating mahal na lalawigang Bulacan,” (We native Bulakenyos here in San Jose are just about more than 25% today and the non-natives who were former Informal Settlers (IFS) from Metro Mania are now more than 75% but they rather be part of Metro Manila. Unlike us, we will stand firm to remain Bulakenyo in our culture, history and topography, we will not change from being part of the province of Bulacan into being part of Metro Manila. This could later be a precedent case. Then, what will be left to our beloved province of Bulacan), he said.

Economic dislocation

The same pamphlet also express dismay that the CSJDM will no longer be part of the province of Bulacan to benefit from being a “world economic limelight” and a “global province and economic powerhouse” because of the construction of the New Manila International Airport and the operation of the North South Commuter Railway project including economic zones.

These, the campaign material explains, would correspond to huge losses for great job opportunities and decent earnings for the youth of the CSJDM.

Agapito also assails the increase in taxes an independent city will impose on the people. He said the CSJDM is not yet ready to become a highly urbanized locality because it still lacks industries, jobs, factories where people can directly work and earn. “People here are workers in adjacent Sta. Maria town, Quezon City, Caloocan City, Manila City, Cavite, Laguna, and other places in Bulacan. They just sleep here in their homes and work somewhere else. There should first be sustainable sources of income and job opportunities,” he said.

CSJDM with 651,813 residents has the largest population among all Bulacan’s four component cities and 20 municipalities. It is 17.5% of Bulacan’s 3,708,890 total population.  

CSJDM Mayor Arthur and CSJDM Lone District Rep. Florida Robes said their huge population requires them to become a fully independent city to sustain the needs of their ever increasing number of constituents in need of quality basic social services.

Natividad said the bid is a self-preservation act of the officials of the city and it will become helpful to the provincial government because it can focus and divert its big amount of resources being spent to the thickly populated CSJDM to the low income municipalities in the province.

PANDI, Bulacan—A disqualification complaint before the Commission on Election (Comelec) was filed against a re-electionist barangay captain in this town due to alleged series of vote-buying incidents.

Manilyn Goc-Ong, a resident of Purok 1, Barangay Masagana filed the disqualification case on Friday against Masagana Barangay Capt. Francisco “Kikoy” Sandil.

Goc-Ong said in the petition for disqualification she filed that Sandil gave her P1,000 cash money on Oct. 22 including an alleged health card with her face, name and precinct number in exchange for her vote on Oct. 30 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).  

Accordingly, the official promised to give her another P1,000 on the day of the elections.

She and several other residents in their barangay were allegedly first invited on Sept. 29 inside a warehouse of their barangay captain where each of them were taken of their respective pictures. They were also advised to be invited again to the said place.

On Oct. 22, when they were invited to the warehouse for the second time, they were surprised to receive the card with a QR Code allegedly from the barangay captain himself. Accordingly, the official told them that the QR Code in the card would confirm if she had voted for him during the election. “The ID issued to us contains a QR Code which according to them after scanning can verify whether we really voted for (respondent). We were convinced by them that they can verify whether we really voted for (Respondent Kikoy),” Goc-Ong said in her petition to disqualify the said candidate.    

Assisted by a lawyer, Goc-Ong said such gesture of their re-electionist barangay captain is in violation of Comelec Resolution 10924 which is the General Guidelines and Other Related Rules and Regulations for the Oct. 30, 2023 BSKE and other succeeding BSKEs.

“It was explained to me by a lawyer that a candidate for barangay elections, who gives, offers, or promises money or anything of value, gives or promises any office or employment, franchise or grant, public or private or makes or offers to make an expenditure, directly or indirectly, or cause an expenditure to be made to any person, association, corporation, entity or community in order to induce anyone or the public in general to vote for or against any candidate or withhold his vote in the election, or to vote for or against any aspirant for the nomination or choice of a candidate in a convention or similar selection process  of a political party” may be disqualified by the Comelec.

On Saturday, another resident appeared before a group of media and divulged the said alleged vote buying scheme of the said official.

He said they were invited to the warehouse of the barangay captain by batches of 50 where they were photographed, given P1,000 cash and promised to be given P1,000-P2,000 more on the day of the election.

“We come here to the open so that the illegal practice of our official will be put to end,’ the man whose face was all covered told the media.

Gina Llave, Pandi municipal election officer said she is waiting for a copy of the said disqualification charges which was filed directly before the Comelec central office.  

Ong said the complaint was filed by their lawyer through electronic mail (e-mail) and sent directly to the Comelec national office based on the guidelines of the poll body.  

Sandil was being contacted by NEWS CORE until at press time but has yet to answer the calls and reply to text messages. Goc-Ong sent Sandil a copy of the complaint through an express mail based on the guidelines of the Comelec.

The last day of campaigning is up until 12 midnight on Saturday, Oct, 28.

Col. Rey Apolonio, chief of police of Pandi said they have yet to receive such complaints of vote buying in Barangay Masagana. But he welcomed the move of Goc-Ong. “Bawal ang bumili at magbenta ng boto. Kailangan tapusin na kung ano man ang mga illegal na practice ng nakaraan na pagbebenta at pamimili ng boto kapag halalan. 1-6 years ang kulong ng mapatunayang magbenta at bumili ng boto,” he said.

But on Saturday, a complaint of another incident of vote buying, this time in Barangay Bagong Barrio was lodged before the town police station. The police arrested the barangay kagawad candidate who was allegedly involved in the vote buying incident.

Recovered from the said candidate was P35,840 worth of cash, DSWD General Intake Sheets and sample ballots.  

CITY OF MALOLOS—Bulacan Gov. Daniel Fernando is back to work more than a month after he was rushed to a hospital due to exhaustion and dehydration while speaking in a past midnight event during the annual Sining Kalinangan ng Bulacan (Singkaban) Festival on Sept. 11. 

The governor on Tuesday surprised residents when he made his first public appearance inside the Capital Gymnasium for the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Integrated Livelihood Program.

“Narito muli po tayo. Napakabait po ng Diyos sa atin. Maraming salamat po sa inyo, sa inyong mga pagdarasal. Napapaiyak po ninyo ako,” he told Bulakenyos. 

He said their leadership of Vice Gov. Alex Castro will continue to provide residents with their needs through the joint initiative and programs of the provincial and the national government. 

The DOLE program provides kabuhayan package to residents in need. 

It was inside the Capitol Gymnasium when the governor cut short his speech past 1:00 a.m. on Sept. 11. He was then rushed to a nearest hospital and was diagnosed of over fatigue and dehydration. 

Fernando also graced the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) distribution of P5000 worth Cash Assistance to 8,000 typhoon Egay residents at The Pavilion of the Hiyas ng Bulacan Convention Center. 

Fernando also acknowleged and thanked the media for the prayers for his speed recovery. 

The governor’s health deterioated due to non-stop mountful of relief distribution to flooded victims in Bulacan’s coastal areas and other towns affected of high tide including paper works, people’s hour at the Capitol, Singkaban and other meetings from wee hour of the night until dawn. 

However, the he has been back to work and official fucntions since late September through online meetings and limited personal meetings. 

Castro since then represented him in a number of provincial government affairs and people’s invitations.