AYALA LAND EXPANDS IN SOUTH: Ayala Land Inc. opens its new shopping mall, the South Park – Ayala Malls, set to house a BPO company and an RRCG P2P Terminal in Alabang, Muntinlupa last November 29. Ayala Land Inc., execs and local government officials attended the mall’s soft launching and vowed to be partners for development. Shown in the photo are: (second from left to right) Department of Transportation Asec. Mark de Leon, Ayala Land Inc., Executive Committee Board Director Tony Aquino, Congressman Ruffy Biazon, Mayor Jaime Fresnedi, Ayala Land Inc., Bobby Dy, City Administrator Allan Cachuela, and Business Permits and Licensing Office Gary Llamas. (MUNTINLUPA PIO)

SAN PEDRO ARRAIGNED AT SANDIGAN FOR GRAFT CHARGES

Former Muntinlupa Mayor Aldrin San Pedro  and 11 others has been arraigned at the Sandiganbayan for graft charges over the anomalous purchased of Troley Bags in year 2008 amounting to 22 million which was supposed to be distributed to elementary schools in Muntinlupa.

Based on the filed information by San Pedro’s Former BAC Secretariat Abel Sumabat who is now under the Witness Protection Program of the Department of Justice, the procured 40,000 pcs, trolley bags from a private company without holding public bidding.

The Ombudsman said that the trolley bags was also not included in their Annual Investment Plan (AIP).

San Pedro filed a motion for reconsideration at the Sandiganbayan, but was denied dated April 21, 2016.

According to the Sandigan Bayan, “After a careful evaluation of the accused separate motions, we find the contentions therein not sufficient to set the findings of probable cause, and we rule that there exists probable cause to justify the issuance of warrant of arrests with respect to all accused”.

The resolution was issued by Second Division Senior Member Associate Justice Napoleon Inoturan and was concurred in by Division Chairman Associate Justice Teresita-Diaz- Baldos and Junior Member Associate Justice Michael Frederick Musngi.

Aside from San Pedro’s 22Million Trolley bag case, the Filed Investigation Office under the Ombudsman is now conducting a fact finding investigation of more than 100 Graft complaints by Sumabat which was filed last February 17, 2012. This includes the OMB Lifestyle check Panel has already commenced its investigation on the alleged-ill-gotten wealth of San Pedro and his family and the lifestyle case was docket as OMB-C-12-0504.

Furthermore, even the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), has already conducted the audit and assessment of the dummy companies used by San Pedro and his relatives to a mass millions of money from the coffers of the City Government of Muntinlupa.

The case of San Pedro at the BIR for violations of the 1997 National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC) is currently ongoing investigation.

Sumabat has been under the WPP for four years now, and has been praying that the bars Justice rolls out in favor of the Muntinlupeños whom San Pedro is indebted with.

618 drug surrenderees to get livelihood, scholarship from Munti city government

In the prime days of war against illegal drugs in the country, the local government of Muntinlupa gives alternative programs for the rehabilitation of drug dependents who surrendered to local authorities.

618 surrenderees screened by the city government will be receiving assistance such as scholarship, enrollment in technical-vocational institution zero-interest loan financing for business start-ups, among others.

Muntinlupa Public Information Office Tez Navarro said that drug users assessed and identified as Mildly and Moderately Affected were given options to avail alternative social services.

Navarro added that the LGU’s effort aims to help in the reintegration of the drug surrenderees as upright citizens to their own communities.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi supports the crackdown campaign against illegal drugs and pushes efforts for the reintegration of surrenderees to society.

Fresnedi advocates not only the arrest of drug personalities but also their recuperation as he sees the campaign against drugs to be effective only if the arrested personalities will undergo recovery and rehabilitation program.

As of October 24, 2016, the total number of households visited during the Operation Tokhang was 6,522 while 3,109 individuals were recorded to surrender.