By Celeste Anna R. Formoso

Lt. Col. Yuri G. Pesigan feeding milk to children in Barangay Alimanguan, San Vicente during the RP-US Marines Medical and Dental Mission from October 15-18, 2009.

OVER 2,000 residents of four barangays in San Vicente town, northern Palawan benefited from the 4-day medical and dental mission carried out under the Philippine Bilateral Exercise 2009 (Phiblex) between the Marine Battalion Landing Team 8, Philippine Marines Corps (PMC) and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), United States Marines Corps (USMC).

The beneficiaries were from barangays Alimanguan, Sto. Niño, New Canipo and Binga, San Vicente.

The residents were treated for common cough and colds, asthma, back and chest pains, wound infection from allergies, ear infection, and received dental services, which mainly involved tooth extraction.

Deworming pills, such as Mebendazole and Pyrantel, were also provided for children between 5-14 years old to treat soil-transmitted worm infestation, which causes a host of serious health problems, one of which is loss of appetite. The three most common soil-transmitted worms affecting children are roundworms, whipworms and hookworms.

Started on October 15 and ended on the morning of October 18, Lt. Col. Yuri G. Pesigan, commanding officer of the MBLT 8, said San Vicente, which has more than 6,000 residents dwelling in rough and rugged high points of land and coastal terrains, was chosen as venue of the civil military operation (CMO) and humanitarian activity as it is where they are needed most due to its inaccessibility to government health services.

Likewise, it is an area where the communists are trying to infiltrate, exploiting the issue of government inability to support the needs of the people.

The RP-US Marines Medical & Dental Mission was able to provide free medical and dental services to over 2,000 residents of four barangays in the northern town of San Vicente. (Photo taken by Shannah Villegas)

Milk, congee feeding

Also part of the RP-US Marines civil military operation were the congee and milk feeding projects facilitated by the Puerto Princesa Kiao and Puerto Princesa Peacock, Inc. of the Junior Chamber International Philippines (JCIP or Jaycees), a worldwide federation of young professional leaders.

The feeding projects were done to help alleviate children malnutrition in the four barangays by stressing the importance of healthy eating habits, and drinking milk that can provide calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, protein and several other beneficial nutrients in varying quantities.

During the four-day medical mission, it was noted that most children treated suffer from malnutrition, which is by far the biggest contributor to child mortality.

Phiblex 2009

On October 18, the annual Phiblex between the Philippines and the United States ended in Barangay Inagawan.

Designed to build up interoperability, increase readiness and to continue professional relationships between the RP and US Armed Forces, the Phiblex 2009 had Sailors and Marines doing bilateral amphibious landing on Inagawan Beach for about a week.

The Sailors who participated were from the amphibious dock landing ships USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) and USS Tortuga (LSD 46) with Marines from the 31^st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) that arrived on October 14.

The Phiblex was done under agreements signed by the Philippines and the United States in the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

By Cheryl A. Galili

Hagedorn and Bayron with constitutional lawyers Garcia and Coronel during a media conference late last week.

LEGAL EAGLES for incumbents Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward S. Hagedorn and Vice Mayor Lucilo R. Bayron said both are still qualified to race against anyone interested in their positions in 2010.

In a media conference called late last week by Hagedorn, constitutional lawyers Sandra Marie Coronel and George Garcia said their clients are eligible to run based on provisions in the Constitution.

Hagedorn became mayor through a recall election in 2002 against former mayor Dennis P. Socrates and another candidate, Sandy Sandoval, while Bayron became vice mayor after winning an election protest against the late Fernando U. Batul.

Garcia explicated that Hagedorn’s term started in 2004 because under the provisions of the law, “a recall election is a special term and should not be included for the purpose of counting the services rendered.”

Distinguishing the terms and tenure of an elective official, Garcia further explained that under Section 8, Article X of the Constitution, the term of office of elective officials, except barangay officials, shall be three years, and no such official shall serve for more than three consecutive terms.

Hagedorn assumed his post after winning in the recall, Garcia stated. He was again elected in the same position in the 2004 election and in 2007.

“Ang legal opinion nagsasabing puwedeng tumakbo si Mayor Hagedorn sapagkat entitled pa siya sa huli niyang termino sa 2010 at 2013 (The legal opinion states that Mayor Hagedorn can still run because he is entitled to his last term in 2010 to 2013),” the lawyer said.

Coronel also said that as early as 1998, the Supreme Court has been consistent in ruling that less than three consecutive years in office is not considered a term.

The Constitution states that an elected official should serve three consecutive terms.

“Kapag recall, hindi iyan covered ng term. Ang sagot with respect to Mayor Hagedorn’s case, walang kaduda-duda na siya ay puwedeng tumakbo (If it’s recall, it’s not covered to be a term. The answer in the case of Mayor Hagedorn is that he is very qualified to run),” Coronel said as a matter of fact.

The two lawyers’ statements is supported by the opinion from the Law Department of the Commission on Election (Comelec), which states that “for three-term limit for local government officials to apply, two conditions of the requisites must occur: that the official concerned has been elected for three consecutive terms in the same local government post, and that he has fully served three consecutive terms.”

Garcia also cited a case of Socrates vs. Comelec where there was a pronouncement that a recall term in itself is one term although less than three years. In the Mendoza & Ibarra vs. Comelec & Roman, the Supreme Court (SC), voting 8-7, dismissed the petition for certiorari filed by petitioners Melanie L. Mendoza and Mario Ibarra seeking to set aside the resolution of the Comelec dated August 15, 2001, in EPC No. 2001-5 and to declare respondent Leonardo Roman’s election as governor of Bataan as null and void for allegedly being contrary to Article X of the Constitution.

The SC’ ruling states that the recall election is not counted as a full term and therefore, for purposes of the three term limit, was not included in the counting. It constituted an interruption in the service of the full term of three years of a local elective official.

It further added that “a recall term should not be counted or used as a basis for disqualification whether served prior or subsequent to the nine-year, full three-term limit.

“Considering Mayor Hagedorn’s case which is similar to that of Governor Roman of Bataan, he is still qualified to run in the 2010 election as he is considered to be still in his second term for purposes of applying the three-term limit for local elective officials,” he said.

On Bayron’s case, Coronel reiterated two conditions of the requisites that must occur: first, that the official concerned has been elected for three consecutive terms in the same local government post, and that he has fully served three consecutive terms.

Bayron was “declared the rightful winner in the election protest case”, and only served the unexpired portion of 2001-2004 term of the office of the Vice Mayor, such service is by virtue of the valid election hence, the first condition was met.

With respect to the second condition, Coronel said “we opine that it cannot be considered as a full term and therefore, should not be included in determining the applicability of the three-term limit.”

Since Bayron only served the unexpired portion of the Office of the Vice Mayor, the second condition did not attach hence, he can still validly run in 2010.

“Walang duda na si vice mayor ay puwedeng tumakbo ulit sa 2010 (There’s no doubt that the vice mayor can run again in 2010),” Garcia stated.

Coronel and Garcia believe that in the end, the rule of law will prevail and the two leaders will qualify to run again as mayor and vice mayor of the city.

By Cheryl A. Galili

PALAWAN 2ND District Board Member Ernesto A. Llacuna is urging the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) to consider the establishment of district field offices in northern and southern Palawan to expand accessible and better services to its members.

Llacuna said many GSIS members in Palawan frequently transact businesses in the city where its main office is located.

Under this set up, complaints are increasing from the members allegedly because of high cost of transportation fare and other related expenses simply to follow up transactions that they can’t get without delay.

Members with minimal claims who come to Puerto Princesa from distantly located municipalities have to stay for longer periods of time, which means spending more for lodging and meals.

“I hope that the GSIS will also consider making its services available to people who live in far-flung areas of the province by establishing offices in northern and southern Palawan,” Llacuna said.

In related news, the Palawan Provincial Board lauded the Social Security System (SSS) for establishing field offices in northern and southern Palawan for its members.

Llacuna said the SSS’ efforts on making and bringing services closer to its members will not only give them comfort, but will also increase their trust and confidence.