Samar gov denies clan's hand in mayor's slay

Samar gov denies clan's hand in mayor's slay
By Miriam Garcia Desacada (The Philippine Star) Updated May 04, 2011 12:00 AM

CAMP RUPERTO KANG­LEON PALO, Leyte, Philippines – Samar Gov. Sharee-Ann Tan de los Santos said on Monday that she and her family would not resort to any form of violence, although slain Calbayog City Mayor Reynaldo Uy was a known political rival of their clan.

De los Santos, daughter of former governor, now Samar second district Rep. Milagrosa Tan, said he “respected” Uy despite their political differences.

“I would like to tell my fellow Samarnons that… though we had differences in our political beliefs, we cannot afford to resort to violence against a person whom I respected so much. We were in the same political party when I first ran in 2004 in Congress; unfortunately we parted ways because that’s part of politics,” De los Santos said in a radio interview.

Uy, together with second district board member Eunice Babalcon, was ambushed in the town proper of Hinaba­ngan last Saturday night. He was declared dead on arrival at the St. Paul’s Hospital, while Babalcon sustained a bullet wound in one arm.

De los Santos said she has asked Chief Superintendent Arnold Revilla, Eastern Visayas police director, to fast-track the investigation.

“We want this case be resolved immediately, so truth will come out as to who are responsible for this killing,” she said.

Investigators are considering all possible angles in Uy’s ambush.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Raul Bacalzo directed Revilla to personally supervise the investigation until the attackers are identified, arrested and charged.

“We are considering all possible angles… We should give ample time to the Special Investigation Task Group to consolidate the pieces of evidence,” Bacalzo said.

“All angles whether personal, political, whether it’s tactical concerning the New People’s Army,” he added.

– With Cecille Suerte Felipe

Family says it's politically motivated

Family says it's politically motivated
By Marlon A. Taño (The Freeman)

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines - "It`s a highly planned and politically motivated murder done by a corrupted criminal who hide in his or her mother's skirt, as what our dialect would call as "talawan" or coward.

This was part of the official statement aired to the local media Monday night by the bereaved family of Calbayog City Mayor Reynaldo Uy who was shot dead by a still unidentified gunman during the vesper's day of the Hinabangan town fiesta in Samar Saturday evening, April 30.

The official statement was read by Uy's eldest daughter Rosa Jessica Delgado at the St. Peter Funeral Homes in this city, a day before the mayor's remains was brought to his hometown in Calbayog City.

Delgado, in the statement, said that "her father's political legacy to change Samar was the main reason why he was assassinated. Our Dad was a good leader, he believed in change and reform. Most politicians would say the same line but the people of Samar believed that my father already made it happen."

The mayor's daughter did not talk about any pertinent details on the killing saying that the family will just wait for the official results of the investigation now conducted by the PNP Task Force Uy.

"His death is not the end, but the beginning of a new journey. His death will also serve as an instrument to unite all Samareños for one great purpose: To change Samar and make it known nationally as a loving and beautiful place not the feared province ravaged by political killings during elections," Delgado said.

At about 7 a.m. yesterday, the remains of Uy was transported to Calbayog City, accompanied by a convoy of hundreds of supporters with some sympathizers putting up placards along the national highway declaring their support for the mayor's advocacy for a united Samar province.

A day after the assassination of the city mayor, Samar Governor Sharee-Ann Tan Delos Santos, in a radio interview on Sunday, belied insinuations that she and her family were behind the killing for political reasons.

Delos Santos, a daughter of former governor and now representative of Samar's 2nd district, declared that it was never her family's act to resort to any violence against political rivals, and that her respect for the mayor remains intact to this day.

"I would like to tell my fellow Samareños that we have no knowledge about the killing. We have differences in our political beliefs but we cannot afford to resort to violence against a person whom I respect so much. We have been in the same political party when I first run for Congress in 2004; unfortunately we parted ways but it was part of politics," said the governor.

Delos Santos said she already asked Police Regional Office-8 director Chief Supt. Arnold Revilla to fasttract the investigation that would identify and arrest the perpetrators so that her name and that of her family will also be cleared. "We want this case be resolved immediately, so truth will come out on who are responsible in this killing," she said.

Revilla earlier said he was not discounting the possibility that the killing of Uy has something to do with politics considering that he led a recall petition against the governor.

The governor however said the recall petition was not enough to convince her and her family to kill any one. She assured any investigating agency of her cooperation at any time in the investigation.

Delos Santos admitted that, on Saturday afternoon, she was also in Hinabangan town for the rice and Philhealth distribution to five barangays. She said she was even invited by some of her political leaders in the area to attend the town fiesta dance but she politely declined.

The wake for the mayor is now held in Calbayog City where thousand of political supporters wearing yellow shirts and ribbons came to pay their respects.

Representative Mel Senen Sarmiento (1st district, Samar) lamented over what he termed as a tragedy in the city. He said he lost a friend and a political partner who had been pursuing development of the province to improve the lives of the constituents. He asked the officials of the police and the NBI to work to resolve the case so that justice for the mayor will be served the soonest possible time.

According to Revilla, there are now two eyewitnesses in custody of the PRO-8 for further investigation. He hoped that an artist's sketch of the gunman would be completed, leading to the identification of the perpetrators. "We are optimistic to finish the investigation, of course with the cooperation of the witnesses," he said.

— with reports from Miriam Garcia Desacada (FREEMAN)

break anay: Aquinos hail 'NinoyCory' cell phone

By Rainier Allan Ronda (The Philippine Star) Updated December 20, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - The Aquino family is all praises for the "NinoyCory" phone of the Solid Group, makers of the only Filipino mobile phone brand, Myphone, for keeping the memory of the two icons of demoracy alive.

Pinky Aquino-Abellada, daughter of the late President Cory Aquino and her husband, former senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., said that by featuring the audio recordings of some of her father and mother's speeches and their letters to each other, the "NinoyCory" mobile phone could be a daily source of inspiration for Filipinos, especially the youth, who would buy and use a unit.

"You're definitely keeping the memory of my dad alive and also of my mom," Abellada told the Solid Group team, led by president David Lim and vice president Beda Manalac, and Rafael Lopa, executive director of the Ninoy Aquino Foundation, that collaborated with the Myphone team.

The mobile phone comes in Cory yellow, with the signature Ninoy eyeglasses in front and images of Ninoy and Cory at the back. When one clicks the yellow ribbon icon on the phone's menu, a number of items would appear, including prayers, an Aquino biography, Ninoy and Cory trivia, Ninoy and Cory inspirational messages, Ninoy's letters and poems, Cory's personal prayers, Aquino speeches, the Aquino library, and the Aquino gallery.

The "NinoyCory" phone was launched with the Aquino family last Thursday at the Cojuangco family home in Dasmariñas Village, Makati City.

Aquino daughters Viel and Ballsy, and their cousins were present at the launch.
Their only brother, presidential candidate Benigno "Noynoy" III, failed to make it due to another engagement.

Aside from having content on Ninoy and Cory, Lopa pointed out that it was a phone for prayer since it also featured several prayers, like the Rosary, Stations of the Cross and several novenas.
The Solid Group, headed by founder and chairman Elena Lim, said it was honored that the Aquino family had cooperated with them for the NinoyCory phone.

"We are honored by the support of the Aquino family. They are a family that represents the best of what the Filipino family stands for," Lim said.

Manalac, Solid Group vice president, said they would come out with more units under their MyHeroes phone series that will honor people who make a difference or who can inspire people

Sales of the NinoyCory phone would also raise funds for the projects of the Ninoy Aquino Foundation.