NHCP slams Aurora priest for disrespecting Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day rites

BALER, Aurora – The National Historical Commission of the Philippines has slammed a Catholic priest for allegedly disrespecting the celebration of the 12th anniversary of Philippine-Spanish Friendship here last Monday.

          NHCP executive director Ludovico Badoy criticized Fr. Nilvon Co Villanueva, parish priest of the San Luis Obispo Parish in this capital town for insulting the historical event and humiliating the people of Philippines and Spain, the war heroes and their descendants by putting up “irrelevant and insensitive posters and banners” within the church grounds.

          Badoy was apparently referring to the installation of posters and banners denouncing the Aurora Special Economic Zone Authority (Apeco), a brainchild of the Angaras. Villanueva is a known vocal critic of the Angaras.

          Badoy voiced his dismay in a June 29 letter to Villanueva, copies of which were made public yesterday.

          In his letter, Badoy said he wrote to Villanueva to express his “utmost disappointment for your lack of respect and courtesy towards the decade-long tradition of celebrating the Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day.”

          Badoy reminded Vilanueva that last year, he denied the organizers a chance to hold wreath-laying ceremonies within the church grounds, the first time a parish priest did so.

          The church was where 54 Spanish soldiers holed themselves for almost a year in 1898 even when the war had ended. Only 33 of them survived. The event was later known as the “Siege of Baler.”  

          “This year, you allowed us to celebrate at the historic site of the Siege of Baler, but disrespected the very grounds by putting  up irrelevant and insensitive posters and banners,” Badoy said.

          “This is a great insult to the historical event and site, given that the said church was declared a national historical site and a national landmark.”

          Badoy stressed that the event celebrates the legacy of Spain in the country which has immensely enriched its culture, religion and society. However, he said it seems Villanueva is unaware of the commemoration’s significance and how it has placed Baler in the map of world history.      

          The NHCP official said Villanueva’s personal political views are of no concern but his degrading the shared history and the friendship between the two countries is “selfish and unacceptable.”

          He said the NHCP reserves the right to take action to correct the “gross disrespect” to the history and the community.   

          It was the second time the NHCP and the Church figured in a controversy. In 2009, the Prelature of Infanta and the NHCP, then known as the National Historical Institute also fueded when the NHI expressed a plan to declare the Baler Church as a historical landmark, a move which then-Bishop Rolando Tirona said was meant to take possession of the church from the Prelature of Infanta.

          Last year, then-senator Edgardo Angara got irritated when a bell from the Church kept pealing, interrupting the speech of his younger sister, Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo as if in disrespect. (Manny Galvez)

Korean national, 5-months old baby boy, 19 other passengers hurt as bus falls in 20-feet ravine in Aurora

DINGALAN, Aurora – All 21 passengers, including a 50-year-old Korean national and a five-month old baby boy,  were wounded when the bus they were riding on plunged into a 20-feet deep ravine in this town Tuesday night, police reported yesterday.

                Police Senior Inspector Rhoderick Bagunu, station commander, identified those injured as Korean Hwang Yun Suk, Roland Arjay Borreo, 24 , Jason Villanueva, 25, Maydid de Belen, 38, Francisco Colisao and Evangeline Gibaga, 42, of Barangay Matawe; Arnel Catubay Jr., 5 months old; Andrea Hilario, 15, Lorna Catubay, 37, Pauleen Catubay, 10, Jonalyn Salayog, 10 and Ereneo Tan, 58, of Barangay Butas na Bato;

Elaisa Abat, 24, Madelyn Ebol, 40 and Salvacion Anda,46 of Barangay Umiray; Leonard Espiritu, 16, Jason Ebuenga, 16, Rico Ebuenga and Rommel Bayang, 16, of Barangay Caragsacan and Lorger dela Cruz, 36, and Arman Obias, 33, both of Barangay Ibona.         

Bagunu said the vehicular accident occurred at around 7:05 pm Tuesday in Barangay Caragsacan here.

          Police said the passengers were boarded on a Dingalan Transport bus with license plate CXV-929 which was traveling along the national highway in Caragsacan when its driver Romulo Catalan lost control of its steering wheel after passing through a downhill curve and fell into the ravine.

          The wounded passengers were rushed to the Dingalan Community Hospital for treatment of injuries and were later transferred to Cabanatuan City.

          Vic Maneja, Caragsacan barangay chairman, said that the bus was on its way to the town proper from Cabanatuan City when it skidded in a curve near the office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and fell.

          He said it was a miracle that the bus remained in an upright position when it fell and did not turn turtle nor fall by its side.

          “Fortunately, the bus did not overturn otherwise it could be worse,” he said, adding many of those injured suffered contusions, bruises and body ache.

          Maneja said that when the vehicle fell, residents heard a loud thud as far as two kilometers away at the church of the Holy Place Pentecost Church Tabernacle, Inc. (HPPCTI) in Caragsacan. (Manny Galvez)

Regional Election Director, Bumisita sa Aurora

BALER, Aurora–Pinangunahan ng Bagong Regional Election Director sa Rehiyon 3 Atty. Temie P. Lambino ang pag bisita sa lalawigan ng Aurora.

Nabatid na limang (5) probinsiya na sa 7 lalawigan sa gitnang Luzon ang nadalaw ng director para pormal na mabisita ang lahat ng tangapan ng nasabing kagawaran.

Layunin ng nasabing hakbang na palakasin ang ugnayan ng bawat isa pagdating sa komunikasyon at ilatag ang mga alituntunin at polisiya.

Samantala, nag pahayag naman ng pasasalamat ang Provincial Election Supervisor ng Aurorra Atty. Jovencio Balanguit sa pagbisita ng kanilang director. (Brave Heart)

Fire and Earthquake Drill, Inilunsad sa Dimanpudso Elementary School

MARIA AURORA, Aurora–Matagumpay na inilunsad ang “Fire and Earthquake Drill” sa Dimanpudso Elementary School sa pamumuno ni Municipal Fire Marshall SFO1 Cecillo Olande Jr. ng Maria Aurora Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

Nilahukan ito ng mahigit 600 na mag aaral na pinangunahan naman ng Principal ng paaralan na si Mrs. Josephina Gonsalez.

Ayon kay FO2 Anthony Sindac- Team leader ng BFP, lahat ng eskuwelahan sa bayang ito ay kanilang hahatiran ng kaparehong gawain sa lahat ng paaralan para maihanda ang mga mag aaral sa mga hindi inaasahang sakuna o kalamidad.

Itinuon ang nasabing drill sa temang “Emergency and Disaster Awareness” ngayong buwan. (Brave Hearth)

 

(Update) Bus na Nahulog sa Bangin sa Dingalan

DINGALAN, Aurora-21 mga pasahero kabilang ang kundoktor at driver ang nasugatan makaraang mahulog sa may 20 talampakang bangin ang Danilo Express Bus sa brgy. Caragsacan sa bayang ito bandang alas siyete ng gabi kagabi.

Isinugod ng mga otoridad sa Dingalan Community Hospital ang mga sugatang pasahero subalit dahil umano sa kakulangan ng mga pasilidad ay iniluwas din ang mga ito sa Cabanatuan City.

Ayon sa Dingalan PNP, bumagtas ang bus sa bulubunduking bahagi ng National Highway ng mawalan ng preno kaya nahulog sa bangin.

Ang bus na may plate no CXV 929 at body number 2500 ay galling ng Cabanatuan City at pauwi na sa bayan ng Dingalan sakay ang  mga pasahero kabilang ang ilang mga bata.

Sa tulong ng mga ambulansya at pribadong behikulo ay naitakbo agad ang mga biktima sa pagamutan.

Nasa custody na ng mga alagad ng batas ang driver ng bus na si Romulo Catalan, residente ng brgy. Ibuna, Dingalan.

Patuloy pa rin ang imbestigasyon ng pulisya at inihahanda ang anumang mga pananagutan ng bus company sa naganap na aksidente.

 

Sa ngayon ay sinasagot umano ng kumpanya ng bus ang mga gastusin ng mga biktima sa kanilang pagpapagamot. (Nelvie Broncate)

PD Bantog, Nagbigay Parangal Kaugnay sa PCR Month Celebration sa Aurora

BALER, Aurora – Ipinagdiriwang ngayon ng tangapan ng pulisya sa lalawigan ng Aurora ang kanilang ika 19th PCR Month celebration na may temang “Pinaigting na Samahan ng Mamamayan at Pulisya Para sa Patuloy na Kapayapaan at Kaunlaran ng Sambayanan”.

Isang maikling programa para sa pagpaparangal ang inihanda ni Aurora Provincial Director Police Senior Superintendent Elmer Bantog sa mga tangapan ng mga alagad ng batas sa bawat munisipalidad, barangay, non-government organization (NGO) at maging ang lokal na pamahalaan.

Nakamit ng Maria Aurora Police Station na pinamumunuan ni Police Senior Inspector Victor Basil Morales ang pinakatampok sa pagdiriwang na Best in Police Community Relation (PCR) Unit at 1^st and 2^nd Quarter Rating at naging  Best PCR Police Non-Commission Officer (PNCO) naman si PO3 Bernadeth Leander.

Itinanghal naman bilang Most Supportive NGO ang Knights of Columbus, Baler Chapter.

Most Supportive Local Executive naman si Dinalungan Mayor Tito T. Tubigan. (Brave Heart)

Lalaking Nahulihan ng Baril, Bagsak Kalaboso

CASIGURAN, Aurora–Kalaboso ang kinabagsakan ng isang lalaki matapos itong muhulian ng baril sa bayang ito.

Kinilala ni Police Senior Inspector Jaime La Peña ang suspek na si Roberto Rustia na residente ng Binangonan, Rizal.

Nahuli ang suspek sa isinagawang operation ng Casiguran Police na pinangunahan ni Police Inspector Alfredo Adarayan.

Isa si Roberto Rustia sa sampung suspek na nahuli sa harapan ng Aurora Bank Casiguran Branch lulan ng isang itim na sasakyan na siyang pinaghihinalaang grupo umano ng nagsasagawa ng robbery hold up.

Sa ngayon ay nakakulong na sa panlalawigang piitan ng aurora ang suspek at nahaharap sa kasong illegal possession of fire arms habang ang siyam nitong kasamahan ay pinalaya na ng mga otoridad. (Brave Heart)

Father Israel Gabriel, Nagpahayag ng Pasasalamat sa kanyang Ika-27th Anniversary bilang Paring Lingkod

SAN LUIS, Aurora–Nagpahayag ng pasasalamat si Father Israel Gabriel sa ginawang misa sa simbahang pinaglilingkuran sa kanyang ika 27th Anniversary bilang pagiging isang pari.

Ginanap ang misa sa parokya ni San Luis Rey Parish Church San Luis, Aurora nitong lunes na kung saan nilahukan ng mga kaibigan at kakilala maging ng mga deboto ang kanyang selebrasyon.

Karamihan sa mga dumalo dito ay nagpa-abot ng masiglang pagbati kasabay ang dalangin na sana ay mas lalo pang tumagal ang kanyang pananatili sa mundo para maipagpatuloy ng mas mahabang panahon ang magandang nasimulan sa paglilingkod sa Diyos at sambayanang kristiyano. (Brave Heart)